NCP Chief Sharad Pawar To Join Congress Party's Bharat Jodo Yatra In Maha, Says Campaign Trying To Bring Harmony

The Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra, which started on September 7 from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu, is scheduled to cover a distance of 3,570 km in 150 days.

New Delhi: NCP president Sharad Pawar on Sunday said he will participate in the Congress's Bharat Jodo Yatra when it enters Maharashtra as an attempt is being made through it to bring harmony in society.

State Congress leaders Ashok Chavan and Balasaheb Thorat had met him and invited him to take part in the Bharat Jodo Yatra when it enters the state on November 7, Pawar told reporters as reported by the news agency PTI.

The Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra, which started on September 7 from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu, is scheduled to cover a distance of 3,570 km in 150 days. The yatra will conclude in Jammu and Kashmir. The yatra which is being led by senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has so far covered four states - Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

''The yatra is a Congress party programme. But through this initiative, an attempt is being made to bring harmony in the society. So some of us from different parties will join the yatra wherever possible when it is in the state," PTI quoted Pawar as saying.

Talking about elections of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Pawar scoffed at politics being done over the elections of the BCCI. "One should not bring politics into some fields. Those who do it are ignorant.

When I was the BCCI president, Gujarat's representative was (present prime minister) Narendra Modi, Arun Jaitley represented Delhi while Anurag Thakur represented Himachal Pradesh. Our job is to provide facilities to players. We don't bother about other issues," PTI quoted the NCP chief as saying.

Speaking about the former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray's tour of Aurangabad district on Sunday, Pawar said, "It is good he is travelling to meet farmers. His health has improved...why have doubts? He should put the demands of farmers before the state and central governments. If the farmers benefit, it is good," as quoted by PTI.

In June this year, the Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra comprising of the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress, collapsed after Sena leader Eknath Shinde and 39 other legislators rebelled against the party leadership. Shinde became the chief minister with the BJP's support.

(With PTI Inputs)