Sharad Pawar: Poll results mark 'start of change'

Mumbai, Dec 12 The Assembly survey results in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh check the "start of a change", NCP chief Sharad Pawar said Wednesday, dubbing the result as "rejection" of the BJP-drove government's policies.

Pawar, who turned 78 on Wednesday, said his party would support the Congress and also suggested the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) to throw their weight behind the Rahul Gandhi-led party.

Referring to the consistent analysis of Rahul Gandhi by the BJP, the former Union minister said people did not like the Congress president being "ridiculed".

The Congress dislodged the BJP from power in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh and developed as the single largest party in Madhya Pradesh.

"People have expressed disappointment against the Modi government... the Assembly survey results mark the start of a change... people rejected the counter ranchers, enemies of merchants approaches of Modi," Pawar told reporters here.

On the Shiv Sena's continuous analysis of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), he said the Uddhav Thackeray-drove gathering might be condemning of its senior partner, yet the two may meet up for elections later on.

He made the remarks after meeting party leaders and workers who had turned up to greet him on his birthday.

Pawar also asserted that the Narendra Modi government took the choice of demonetisation without consulting the Reserve Bank of India.

Individuals disliked the Modi government's assault on such institutions, he claimed.

Prime Minister Modi had declared refutation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 old money notes on November 8, 2016.