In what could be the first sign of rapprochement, the Ajit Pawar-Praful Patel group on Sunday met NCP supremo Sharad Pawar in Mumbai and sought his blessings. They also expressed regret over the chain of political developments involving the 25-year-old party.
Sharad Pawar, however, has not reacted to the meeting.
The meeting - which came as a bolt from the blue - particularly given that Ajit Pawar and some senior leaders have openly attacked Sharad Pawar - comes ahead of the Opposition unity meeting in Bengaluru.
The meeting also comes on the eve of the crucial monsoon session of the Maharashtra Legislature, which is expected to be stormy.
This was the first formal meeting of the group led by Ajit Pawar, the new Deputy Chief Minister, with his uncle and NCP founder-President since the rebellion when a large chunk of legislators walked out and joined the BJP-led MahaYuti in Maharashtra.
On 30 June, the NCP met and passed several resolutions, and on 2nd July, the rebel legislators joined the government.
The junior Pawar was accompanied by the eight NCP ministers and senior MLAs and MLCs when they called on Pawar at the Yashwantrao Chavan Pratishthan in Mumbai.
“We have come to seek the blessings of the Pawar Saheb, who is our idol. We want to keep the NCP united so we requested Pawar Saheb to guide us. He heard us…but he did not respond,” Patel told reporters.
The delegation included senior ministers Chhagan Bhujbal, Dilip Walse-Patil, Hasan Mushrif, Deputy Speaker Narahari Zirwal, state NCP President Sunil Tatkare, Chief Whip and minister Anil Patil among others.
During the meeting, state NCP President Jayant Patil and Chief Whip Jitendra Awhad - who are in the Sharad Pawar-Supriya Sule camp, were also present.
“The Ajit Pawar camp expressed regret and urged Pawar Saheb to find a way out of the current complications in the party…Pawar Saheb did not respond,” Patil said.
NCP national spokesperson Clyde Crasto, who is from the Sharad Pawar-camp, tweeted, “Breakaway NCP group suddenly remembered Pawar Saheb after witnessing the overwhelming support he is receiving from people of Maharashtra. Today's visit was a failed attempt to show people that they're still in touch. These optics cannot alter the undeniable truth.”
The formal meeting, incidentally, follows Ajit Pawar’s Friday night visit to Silver Oak, the residence of Sharad, to inquire about the health of his aunt Pratibha Pawar, who had undergone a surgery. “Politics is separate… Family always comes first. I heeded the call of my conscience and went to inquire after the health of my aunt,” Ajit Pawar had said after the meeting.
Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of the BJP said that he was not aware of the development. “Pawar Saheb is their leader and the've met him,” he said. State Minister Shambhuraj Desai of BJP said that it was NCP’s meeting with their leader and should not be viewed politically.