Don't think any NCP MLA met state BJP chief: Jayant Patil

Maharashtra NCP chief Jayant Patil Sunday said no MLAs from his party met state BJP president Chandrakant Patil, days after the latter claimed that several NCP-Congress legislators are set to join the saffron party. "He (Chandrakant Patil) said that some people from NCP met him secretly...I don't think that anybody from our party met him," Jayant Patil told reporters here in response to a query over the BJP leader's claim.

He said he is concerned about the loyalists from the BJP, who are being sidelined despite working for it for so long, as the party is taking several leaders from the NCP and Congress. "As people from our parties are going there, some disgruntled leaders from the BJP are also approaching us," he said.

Taking a dig at the Shiv Sena, he termed the party's protest march against the insurance firms over farmers' crop insurance claims as a "face-saving act". He also said that ahead of the elections, discussions are going on for seat-sharing between his party and the Congress.

"We have received over 700 applications of aspiring candidates for the state elections and soon their interviews will be conducted," he added. Patil also added that Congress and NCP have written a letter to Prakash Ambedkar's Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) to form an alliance against the "communal" parties.

"We are hopeful that they will join us," he said.