Supriya Sule rules out NDA switch, says NCP (SP) yet to decide on Delimitation Bill | India News

NEW DELHI: NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule on Wednesday dismissed speculation that her party could back the Centre’s proposed Delimitation Bill, saying it has neither discussed the legislation with anyone nor been approached for support.While addressing the media, Sule said the NCP (SP) would decide its stand only after the Bill is introduced in Parliament and after consultations within the INDIA bloc.“We have neither held discussions with anyone regarding delimitation, nor has anyone approached us about it. We will formulate our stance once the bill is introduced,” Sule said.“However, we will discuss any upcoming bill in detail within the INDIA alliance. Parties like the DMK, SP, and ourselves had stated that we would consider the 50% quota issue,” she added.Sule also asserted that the opposition had never demanded delimitation and had instead sought only the implementation of 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament.“The INDIA alliance did not demand the delimitation; we demand that 33% reservation for women should be implemented. During the previous Budget Session, Kiren Rijiju had invited Asaduddin Owaisi, me, and Arvind Sawant,” the NCP (SP) MP said.Sule also ruled out the ongoing speculations over switch to BJP-led NDA and said that her party remains firmly with the INDIA bloc/“There are several rumours about us. All information is source-driven. Our party is being maligned. There is no question of us going anywhere. We are in INDIA alliance,” Sule said.This comes a day after leaders from both factions of the Nationalist Congress Party met chief minister Devendra Fadnavis at his official residence.However, news agency PTI, citing sources, reported that Jayant Patil met Fadnavis at his official residence, ‘Varsha’, in Mumbai late on Tuesday night regarding an issue in his Uran-Ishwarpur constituency in Sangli district.Declining to elaborate, sources told PTI that Patil and ruling NCP leaders Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare did not meet the chief minister together.The meeting comes as buzz over a possible merger of the two factions gathered pace once again.In the days following the plane crash of Ajit Pawar, several members of the NCP (SP) had said that Ajit Pawar had initiated talks with senior leader Jayant Patil for the merger. However, NCP leaders, including Tatkare and national president Praful Patel, had refuted these claims.