Ahmedabad: NCP president and former union minister Sharad Pawar today hit out at ruling BJP saying that the ‘map’ of India it was willing to carve out was ‘unacceptable’.

After inaugurating the new state head office of the Gujarat unit of his party in Sola area off SG highway here, Pawar said that BJP made several promises to the farmers, workers and poor to grab the rein of power but did not fulfill them.

‘Now what kind of map of the country, the party is trying to draw. We don’t need such a map of the country. We also know that BJP can’t carve out a map of the country in which there is a place for poor,’ the veteran NCP leader said.

Former union minister and general secretary of NCP Praful Patel, MLA cum state president Jayant Patel and MLA Kandhal Jadeja were also present on the occasion.

Senior Congress leader and leader of opposition in Gujarat assembly Shankersinh Vaghela also came to meet Pawar and later told newsmen that NCP was an old ally.

‘Congress and NCP had contested elections together and in future too we will remain together. Though the nitty gritty of the coalition for upcoming assembly election in Gujarat would be finalized by the party high-command but the fact remains that we are old allies,’ Vaghela told newsmen.

NCP state president Jayant Patel alias Bosky said that Pawar and Vaghela, the two veterans discussed several political issues. ‘They also discussed the prevailing political situation in the country including the anointment of a particular person as UP chief minister,’ he said.

Meanwhile contrary to the claims of Vaghela, the speculations in Gujarat are rife that NCP, with 2 mlas in 182 member assembly, is likely to contest the next assembly elections in the state due to be held by December this year at its own. Earlier also some of the congress MLA’s had meeting with senior NCP leader Praful Patel.

DeshGujarat