“Third meeting of INDIA aims to oust Modi government from Centre:” Nana Patole

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 18 (ANI): Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Nana Patole on Thursday said that the upcoming meeting of the INDIA opposition bloc, scheduled to be held in Mumbai on August 31 and September 1, aims to oust the Narendra Modi government from the Centre.
While speaking to the media persons, the Congress leader said that the meeting would “give a new direction to the country”.
"INDIA alliance meeting will be held in Mumbai on August 31 and September 1. We held a meeting today at Matoshree to organise it successfully and decided on the agenda for it. It would give a new direction to the country. The aim of the (INDIA) meeting is to oust the Modi government from the centre...," Patole said.
The party held the Wednesday meeting to review preparations — the third in the series after the earlier ones in Patna and Bengaluru — ahead of the crucial INDIA bloc meeting.
Speaking on speculations over Sharad Pawar joining the BJP, following a meeting between the NCP president and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in Pune, Patole said the NCP chief has already clarified about the same.
“Sharad Pawar is a big leader, he is capable of taking decisions for his party. He, meanwhile, has made his stand clear on the meeting between Ajit and him last week,” Patole said.
Earlier on August 13, making his stand clear on joining Bharatiya Janata Party,  Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar said that his party will not go with the BJP as its ideology does not fit in NCP's political framework.
"As national president of NCP, I am making it clear that my party (NCP) will not go with the BJP. Bharatiya Janata Party’s ideology does not fit in NCP's political framework," Sharad Pawar said while talking to the reporters at Sangola in Solapur district of Maharashtra.
Pawar further said that some "well-wishers" are trying to persuade him to join the BJP.
"Some of us have taken a different stand. Some of our well-wishers are trying to see if there can be any change in our minds. That is why they are trying to have a cordial discussion with us," he said without taking names.
Recently, Ajit Pawar, nephew of Sharad Pawar along with eight Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLAs, switched over to the BJP-Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde)-led Maharashtra government recently. Ajit Pawar later claimed of having support from several MLAs of NCP.
Pawar was then sworn in as a Deputy Chief Minister of the state. Maharashtra’s other Deputy Chief Minister is BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis.
On being asked about the ‘secret meeting’ with Ajit Pawar, Sharad Pawar said how the meeting became a secret one while it was held at someone’s residence.
“What is wrong with meeting my nephew? How it can become secret when it was held at someone’s residence. I was there at his residence,” he added. (ANI)