Aurangabad : A senior NCP leader and the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, Ajit Pawar, said that his party had offered a Rajya Sabha (RS) seat to Ramdas Athvale, when he was with us, but he had refused it.
Talking to reporters here on Tuesday evening, Pawar said that senior leaders of NCP namely R R Patil and Chhagan Bhujbal had offered him the RS seat, but he refused. Now after joining hands with communal forces Athvale changed his mind and accepted the RS seat. On the issue of some dissidents of NCP from Sangli district mulling over the option of joining BJP, Pawar said that the news shown on TV channels are unfounded and to tarnish the image of his party. There is no substance in the news, he himself and other senior NCP leader, Bajirao Ghorpade, is in touch with these NCP leaders and they are not going to quit the party. When asked about the violation of central government guidelines on toll collection Pawar said that the entire toll process is transparent, legal and everything in the process is done within the framework of laws. Give me a single instance of violation of central government-norms, I will take action against the errant toll contractors. In the past too I have abolished some toll posts after receiving complaints against them.
