Was not aware of Shinde's chief ministerial ambition: Pawar

NEW DELHI: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar said on Tuesday that it was never conveyed that Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde had chief ministerial ambitions, adding that a solution to the ongoing political crisis in Maharashtra would be found out soon.

"Shinde never conveyed (to us) that he wanted to be the Chief Minister (of Maharashtra). The Chief Minister's post is Shiv Sena's and this is an internal issue of that party," Pawar told mediapersons ahead of the opposition meeting to finalise a consensus candidate for the Presidential poll.

"We will soon find a way out this situation. The CM's post is Shiv Sena's, Deputy CM's is NCP's. Whatever Shiv Sena will decide, we are with them," he said.

Pawar's comments came in the wake of the ongoing political crisis wherein Shinde, who is also a cabinet minister, has parked himself in Surat along with around two-dozen MLAs, sending the already precarious Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress' Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government into a tizzy.

Referring to the allegations of cross-voting during the recently concluded voting for biennial elections to 10 seats of Maharashtra Legislative Council, Pawar said, "This is not the first incidence of cross-voting."

Without giving further details, the NCP supremo said he will be flying back to Mumbai after the opposition meeting and "if there is time, I will meet (Maharashtra Chief Minister) Uddhav Thackeray".

He laughed off at a question about a possible tie up with the BJP.