A day after Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar met his uncle and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar along with several rebel MLAs to seek blessings, he again visited the party patriarch with his supporters on Monday.
Praful Patel, senior Pawar’s close aide who rebelled along with Ajit Pawar to join the BJP-Eknath Shinde government in Maharashtra, said several NCP cabinet ministers were not present during the surprise visit yesterday as it was a Sunday and so they went again today, NDTV reported.
Also Read: ‘Came to take blessings of Sharad Pawar’: Praful Patel on Ajit Pawar, rebel NCP ministers meet
After meeting with the NCP supremo yesterday, Patel said, “We met Sharad Pawar today after the Assembly session, and he patiently listened to us. Sharad Pawar didn’t reply to us, he just kept on listening to what we were saying and after meeting him, we are going back.”
After meeting Sharad Pawar yesterday, the rebel camp said that they have requested the senior leader to ensure that the party isn’t divided.
According to reports, Sharad Pawar addressed the party workers later in the day and made it clear that he will continue his “progressive politics” and never ally with the BJP.
Also Read: No discussion on politics, says Ajit Pawar on meeting with Sharad Pawar
NCP split earlier this month when Ajit Pawar left the Opposition ranks and took oath as the Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister in the Eknath Shinde-led BJP government.
Ajit Pawar, who claims the support of more NCP MLAs than Sharad Pawar, also visited his uncle’s home last week to meet with his aunt Pratibha Pawar – Sharad Pawar’s wife – who had a surgery recently.