Union Minister Ramdas Athawale on Sunday said that the senior Pawar will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi next month, during which he may change his mind on joining the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Speaking to India TV Athawale said, PM Modi and Sharad Pawar will meet in Pune and will speak on several matters, which might include a possible alliance for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in 2024.
Athawale made a big claim that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is received flak within the opposition alliance I.N.D.I.A. and said that he should rejoin the NDA, where he would be welcomed. He also called the opposition alliance a 'dead alliance' and the coming together of all opposition parties will not affect NDA's performance in next year's Lok Sabha elections. The Union Minister also refuted allegations from opposition parties on the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) actions over the Manipur violence, saying that at least 35,000 security forces have been deployed in the state. He further accused the opposition of politicising the issue by not letting any discussions in the Parliament despite the Centre's approval.