Sharad Pawar agreed to ally with Shiv Sena in assembly polls: Manohar Joshi

"He is trying to create a space for himself in the party through such baseless allegations," Malik said.

Joshi's revelations follow claims by senior Sena-BJP leaders Uddhav Thackeray and Gopinath Munde that Pawar wanted to join NDA.

"The only leader waiting for anything is Pawar himself, and he has been waiting to join the NDA," Munde had said, reigniting the controversy initiated by Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray who claimed that it was due to his opposition that Pawar could not join the NDA.

Munde said Pawar had indeed approached NDA leaders. "I spoke to Uddhav about it and then to other alliance partners in Maharashtra. And we all decided together that we would not allow Sharad Pawar and his NCP to join the NDA," the BJP leader had said.