'Never Met Rahul, Sonia Gandhi In Person': BJP's Pankaja Munde Rejects Reports Of Joining Congress

Amid ongoing Maharashtra political cisis, BJP leader Pankaja Munde refuted reports that claimed she will be joining Congress.

BJP leader Pankaja Munde on Friday dismissed the reports that claimed that she is likely to join the Congress and met Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi for the same. Addressing a press conference, she said that she never saw Rahul or Sonia Gandhi in person and never spoke to the leader of any party regarding leaving BJP. Munde also said that she will soon file a defamation case against the media channel that played the news.

This comes after media reports claimed that Munde has met Rahul and Sinia Gandhi and is likely to join Congress soon. When asked about the same, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee President Nana Patole said that his party would welcome her if she wants to join.

...A few days back a news report came in that I met Rahul Gandhi & Sonia Gandhi twice and I am quitting BJP & joining Congress. Such news reports are absolutely false. I swear that I have never spoken with any leader of any party regarding my entry into their party. I have never seen Rahul Gandhi or Sonia Gandhi in person...I am going to file a defamation case against the channel...," BJP national secretary Pankaja Munde said.

The report comes at a time when Maharashtra is witnessing one of its biggest political dramas after Ajit Pawar led an NCP faction to join CM Eknath Shinde and BJP coalition government in the state.

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) working committee meeting called by Sharad Pawar in Delhi on Thursday has no legal sanctity, the Ajit Pawar-led faction said, as reported by news agency PTI. “It is learnt from various media reports that Sharad Pawar has called a meeting of the National Executive/National Working Committee/National Office Bearers/State Party Presidents of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) today in New Delhi,” a statement on behalf of Ajit Pawar said.

“Ajit Pawar has been elected as the National President of NCP on 30.06.2023 with the overwhelming support of the majority of elected representatives of NCP as well as the members working on different organizational post,” the statement said.

The statement by the rebel faction also read that Ajit Pawar has filed a petition before the Election Commission stating that he represents the real NCP and thus, the name of the party along with the symbol be granted to him.