Sharad Pawar (L), the President of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) addresses a news conference along with party leader Chhagan Bhujbal (R) in Bombay October 8. Pawar who was expelled from the Congress Party for criticising Italian born Sonia Gandhi's leadership said his party was ready to mend fences in the western state of Maharastra, proposing a tie-up to kick the ruling Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party coalition out of power.

SK/DL