NCP leader meets Uddhav, says visit personal, apolitical

ACCORDING TO A SENIOR NCP LEADER, JITENDRA AWHAD HAD BEEN TO MATOSHREE TO INVITE THACKERAY TO HIS BOOKLAUNCH EVENT ON NOVEMBER 18

MUMBAI: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Jitendra Awhad met Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray at his Matoshree residence in Bandra on Friday, raising eyebrows in political corridors, ahead of the Lok Sabha and state assembly elections in 2019 .

Awhad, a close aide of NCP chief Sharad Pawar, and the Sena said the visit was apolitical.

The development assumed significance considering the Congress and NCP’S efforts to form a mega alliance against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party( BJP) for the elections.

The NCP has already favoured taking the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) on board the alliance in a ploy to upset the BJP vote bank, mainly in Mumbai, Pune and Nashik.

On the other side, Sena despite being part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has been critical about the decisions and policies of the BJP government in the state and at Centre.

The meeting between both the leaders continued for around 40-45 minutes. “I met the Sena chief for personal reason,” Awhad said.

According to a senior NCP leader, Awhad had been to Matoshree to invite Thackeray to his book-launch event on November 18.

Apart from Thackeray, NCP president and senior Congress leader Sushil Kumar Shinde are going to be present at the event in Thane.

Stating that there was no political discussion in the meeting with Jitendra Awhad, Milind Narvekar, Sena secretary and close aide of Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, said, “He (Awhad) had come to invite Uddhav ji for the launch of his book, which is scheduled next month. Uddhav ji has accepted the invitation.”