Sharad Pawar

The 82-year-old leader recounted how, in the past few weeks, he has been touring different parts of the state and meeting a lot of people. "The masses conveyed to me that they are desirous of a change in the state... They want the Opposition parties to unite and achieve this," Pawar told mediapersons in Pune. He also met the Congress-Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) winner Ravindra.

"I read that your mother has been admitted to the hospital and am relieved to know that she is stable and recovering. I know how close you are with your beloved mother and the special bond you share with her and understand this difficult phase in your life," said Pawar, 82.

The caller rang up from an unknown location to the Pawars' Silver Oaks home and threatened in Hindi that he would come to Mumbai and shoot him with a country-made pistol. As precaution, the NCP leader's security detail has lodged a complaint with Gamdevi Police Station which has started investigations.

It happened on Monday in Pune's Purandar taluka where the intrepid 82-year-young Nationalist Congress Party President landed for a spot assessment of the havoc in region caused by the recent rains, and later dropped in at the NCP office in the Parinche village to interact with farmers and his loyal band of party workers.

Both factions of the Sena led by Thackeray and Shinde will hold their Vijaya Dashami rallies at Shivaji Park and Bandra Kurla Complex grounds, respectively, under the common party name and an embittered ambience after the Maha Vikas Aghadi government was toppled in June.

Speaking at the NCP national council meeting here, Pawar -- who on Saturday was re-elected unanimously the party president -- told the workers to be prepared for a "big fight". Pawar said that Chhatrapati Shivaji never bowed in front of Delhi rulers and the NCP follows that path which has established itself as a progressive national party. His remarks came as many Opposition leaders are under the spotlight of probe agencies, while NCP leaders such as Nawab Malik and Anil Deshmukh are under judicial custody.

Praful Patel said Pawar was going to play an important role to bring many forces together. He said, "Sharad Pawar was never and will never be the PM face. He only speaks about the real issues of this country. Some workers of the party expressed their views but Sharad Pawar is not aspiring for the PM post. "We know our limitations and he is not the opposition's face but will play an important role." Patel said the NCP was going to play a key role in the upcoming General Elections. But the party's stand was clear that there was a need for the Opposition to unite.

After the meeting, NCP general secretary Praful Patel said Sharad Pawar has been elected unopposed by the party's national executive. The party would hold national council meeting on Sunday during which Pawar is expected to lay out the road map for the national-level alliance of the opposition parties.

The Congress is not pushing anybody's candidature and will go with the opposition's choice for the sake of opposition unity. Sources say that Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge made the point in the meeting convened by Mamata Banerjee on June 15 that the party is aware that many of the parties around this table compete with each other in assembly elections. But that has not prevented this meeting from taking place.

Sources say that 17 parties will attend the meeting. The parties have to arrive at a consensus on the candidate's name after Sharad Pawar declined to contest. The opposition parties had on Wednesday decided to field a joint candidate in the Presidential polls next month.The meeting of opposition leaders, called by Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, was held here for building a consensus on a joint opposition candidate.