Ajit Pawar, other Maharashtra NCP ministers meet Sharad Pawar for first time since rebellion | India News

MUMBAI: In a surprise move, Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar along with Praful Patel, Chhagan Bhujbal and some other ministers from his Nationalist Congress Party camp met NCP president Sharad Pawar at Mumbai’s YB Chavan Centre on Sunday.
This was the first meeting between Sharad and the group-led by Ajit Pawar after he rebelled against his uncle and joined the Eknath Shinde government on July 2.

The meeting also comes a day ahead of the commencement of the monsoon session of the Maharashtra assembly.

Came without appointment: Praful Patel
“We all came here to seek the blessings of respected Sharad Pawar. We came here without asking for any appointment after getting information that the NCP chief would be at the centre. We requested Pawar sahib that the NCP should stay united. On this, Sharad Pawar did not give any reaction,” Praful Patel told reporters after the meeting.
NCP ministers Hasan Mushrif, Aditi Tatkare and Dilip Walse Patil also attended the meeting.
Sources from the Sharad Pawar camp said NCP state president Jayant Patil and party leader Jitendra Awhad were with Sharad during the talks.
On Friday, Ajit Pawar had visited Silver Oak, the official residence of the NCP supremo, to meet the latter’s wife Pratibha Pawar after she underwent a surgery at a hospital here.
Ajit Pawar is known to be close to his aunt Pratibha. In 2019, she reportedly played a crucial role in bringing him back to the NCP fold after he and Devendra Fadnavis formed a short-lived government after the Assembly polls.
(With inputs from agencies)