Days after rebellion, Ajit Pawar meets uncle Sharad Pawar, proposes to keep party united

Days after rebelling against his uncle, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar met NCP supremo Sharad Pawar in Mumbai on Sunday (July 16). He was accompanied by senior party leader Praful Patel and some ministers from his NCP camp, a close aide of the deputy chief minister said.

This was the first meeting between the NCP president and the faction led by his nephew after he rebelled against his uncle to join the Eknath Shinde government on July 2.

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Ajit Pawar along with NCP ministers Hasan Mushrif, Chhagan Bhujbal, Aditi Tatkare and Dilip Walse Patil met Sharad Pawar at the YB Chavan Centre located near the state secretariat. Sources from the Sharad Pawar camp said that NCP state president Jayant Patil and party leader Jitendra Awhad had also reached the YB Chavan Centre.

Talking to the media after the meeting, Praful Patel said they have requested Pawar to take steps to keep the party united. He said they met the senior Pawar to seek his blessings. “We met Pawar Saheb at his office without informing him. It was an unscheduled meeting. We met him and took his blessings as he is our idol. We want the party to be kept united and we requested him to consider. He has not reacted to it,” he said.

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Ajit Pawar visited Silver Oak, the official residence of the NCP supremo, on Friday to meet the latter’s wife Pratibha Pawar after she underwent a surgery at a hospital in Mumbai.

Ajit Pawar is known to be close to his aunt Pratibha. She reportedly played a crucial role in bringing him back to the NCP fold in 2019 after he and Devendra Fadnavis formed a short-lived government following the assembly polls.

(With agency inputs)