Days after a ‘secret meeting’ between Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) founder Sharad Pawar and his nephew Ajit Pawar ignited a buzz in the Maharashtra political circle, Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar on Wednesday claimed that PM Modi set a condition before the nephew that he should rope in Sharad Pawar if he wanted to become the chief minister.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has told Ajit Pawar that if he wants his dream of becoming the chief minister to come true, then he should get Sharad Pawar on their side… And that is why Ajit Pawar seems to be repeatedly meeting Sharad Pawar and making desperate pleas,” Wadettiwar told reporters.

NCP leader Supriya Sule denied knowledge of any such development and said that she has not received any offer from the BJP. The Shiv Sena (UBT) also denied the news.

Also Read: NCP will not go with BJP though some well-wishers trying to persuade me: Sharad Pawar

“I have no clue about all this…,” Supriya Sule told The Indian Express. “I am too busy with my constituency work. Pawar saheb has already replied to such claims. He has already spoken about this… He is independent, he is capable of defending himself,” Sule added.

On being asked if she was happy the BJP was making such offers, Sule said, “I am ambivalent. I am indifferent because nobody has made any offers to me.”

Sanjay Raut, the chief spokesperson for Shiv Sena (UBT), said, “Who is Ajit Pawar to make an offer to Sharad Pawar? He is nobody. He won’t dare make any such offer.”

Also Read: No discussion on politics, says Ajit Pawar on meeting with Sharad Pawar

Meanwhile, Sunil Tatkare from the Ajit Pawar-led NCP rubbished the claims as “ridiculous”. “I don’t want to talk about what the two leaders discussed as it is their family matter. When we joined hands with BJP, neither it (BJP) nor we had set any condition. We have joined hands for the sake of the development of the country and the state,” he said.

‘BJP doesn’t fit into NCP’s political policy’

As the meeting of the duo gains political traction, Sharad Pawar maintains that his party would not join hands with Ajit’s ally BJP.

Addressing reporters at Sangola in Solapur district of Maharashtra, Pawar said any association with BJP doesn’t fit into NCP’s political policy.

“As the national president of the NCP, I am making it clear that my party (NCP) will not go with the BJP. Any association with the Bharatiya Janata Party does not fit in NCP’s political policy,” he said, PTI reported.

However, Pawar revealed that some “well-wishers” are trying to persuade him but he will never align with the BJP.

Notably, the Pawar senior shared the dais with Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis in Solapur district to unveil the statue of late MLA Ganpatrao Deshmukh on Sunday. Last month, Ajit Pawar took jumped the ship and oath as the deputy chief minister in the Shiv Sena-BJP government, while eight MLAs of NCP supporting him took oath as ministers.