Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar on Friday said the Congress cannot be left out of any alternative front to take on the BJP, days after a meeting at his residence gave rise to speculation about Third Front moves for the 2024 elections.

"An alliance was not discussed in the (Rashtra Manch) meeting but if an alternative force is to be raised, it will be done only by taking Congress together. We need power like that and I had said this in that meeting," the senior politician was quoted as saying by news agency ANI, as reported by ndtv.com.

He also called for "collective leadership" if any front is considered. Asked if he would lead the new front, he quipped: "Sharad Pawar has tried this many times before."

Pawar’s meetings with poll strategist Prashant Kishor has also given rise to speculations over the past few weeks, but a meeting at his home on Tuesday was watched and dissected with interest.

The meeting was called by Yashwant Sinha, not Sharad Pawar, Majeed Memon, a leader of Pawar's NCP. The meeting lasted over two hours.

Notably, the Congress was missing though three leaders were invited.

There was no discussion of a political front at the Tuesday meeting, Pawar said, according to the report by ndtv.com.

On a leadership role for him in any Third Front to take on the BJP in the next general election in 2024, he said: "We haven't discussed but I think we'll have to go ahead by taking a role of collective leadership. I did this for years but right now I'll work for keeping everyone together, guiding and strengthening them."