Chennai: Congress and NCP have refutedreports that senior leader Sharad Pawar was likely to replace Sonia Gandhi as the chairperson of the opposition alliance UPA.

Congress general secretary Tariq Anwar said, ;There is no truth in it. It is an attempt to sow confusion and divide the opposition.’ NCP leaders also said there was no truth in the reports.

Earlier, reports said Pawar, the grand old man of Maharashtra politics, has emerged as the frontrunner to be appointed as the next UPA chairperson to replace Sonia Gandhi as she looks set to retire from the role.

Quoting sources, they said Sonia Gandhi’s reluctance to continue in the top job has been evident for a while and she is hopeful that her replacement will be found soon, and Pawar is the man likely for the job.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Friday said his party would be happy if Sharad Pawar becomes United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairman. He said the Congress is weak and hence the opposition needs to come together now.