Narendra Modi a 'groom in a hurry': Sharad Pawar

Nagpur, Maharashtra: Sharad Pawar, the chief of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), took a dig at Narendra Modi, saying the BJP's prime ministerial nominee was a "groom in hurry" who had declared himself victorious even before the people's mandate was out.

"Modi is a groom in a hurry. He is behaving as if he has already got elected to the top post," Mr Pawar said at a joint rally with Congress president Sonia Gandhi at Chikhli in Nagpur on Saturday. (Sonia Gandhi, Sharad Pawar share a dais after 15 years) His NCP is a key constituent of the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre and in Maharahstra where the alliance has been in power since 14 years.

Raking up the 2002 communal riots in Gujarat, Mr Pawar alleged "Congress MP Ehsan Jafri was burnt alive in his Gulbarg Housing Society residence in Ahmedabad under chief minister Modi's watch".

He said this was for the first time that a prime ministerial candidate had been declared before the elections.

"Normally, elected MPs pick their leader as prime minister. But here in this election, Modi is in a hurry," the NCP chief said.