I am worried about Gadkari

Pune: Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar said that he was “worried” about Union minister Nitin Gadkari as he is being projected as a possible alternative to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Gadkari, a senior BJP leader, was recently in news when he was seen as taking swipes at his party’s top leadership after the Assembly poll losses in three states. The Union minister's "one who cannot take care of home, cannot manage the country" remark also came when the Opposition was targeting Modi over his handling of the Rafale deal and farmers’ agitations.

The 61-year-old, who is seen to share good relations across party lines, has been suggested as a possible contender for prime minister if the BJP falls short of the magic number in the Lok Sabha elections, due in May. 

Talking to reporters at Solapur in Maharashtra, Pawar said to a question, “Gadkari is my friend. We have worked together. There is talk about his name being pushed (as an alternative to Modi) and because of that I am worried about him.”

He did not elaborate further. Talking about alliances in the state for Lok Sabha polls, Pawar said his party was not engaged in any talks for a tie-up with Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).

“Raj Thackeray has a great deal of support from the youth. But we have not had any talks regarding any agreement pertaining to elections with his party,” said Pawar. He discusses public issues with the MNS chief often, but there has been no discussion about working together in the election, he added.