On Sunday (July 16), MLAs of NCP Ajit Pawar faction as well as Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and Praful Patel reached YB Chavan Centre to meet NCP President Sharad Pawar. Senior leader Chhagan Bhujbal, Aditi Tatkare, Hasan Mashrif were also accompanying Ajit Pawar during the meeting with senior Pawar. Addressing the press after the meeting, Praful Patel said that they sought the "blessings and guidance" of senior Pawar. Patel said that they want a "united" and strong NCP and that they communicated it to the NCP founder. "Sharad Pawar heard us and did not give any reaction," said Praful Patel. "This is all that happened and we have nothing more to share," said Patel.
Explaining how the NCP ministers went to meet Pawar, Patel said that the leaders were sitting at Ajit Pawar's bunglow and they learnt that NCP Supremo Sharad Pawar was at the YB Chavan Centre. They said that they arrived to meet Sharad Pawar without "informing him beforehand." Ajit Pawar and Chhagan Bhujbal were present when Patel briefed media about the meeting.
This is the first time that the prominent "rebel" NCP MLAs who went with Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar have reached all at once to meet Pawar senior.
Ajit Pawar faction leaders Hasan Mushrif and Dilip Walse Patil reach YB Chavan Centre in Mumbai to meet NCP President Sharad Pawar.
NCP Sharad Pawar faction leaders Jayant Patil and Jitendra Awhad have also rushed to YB Chavan Centre in Mumbai as Ajit Pawar factions leaders arrived there to meet Sharad Pawar.
Ajit Pawar visited Sharad Pawar on July 14
Pratibha Pawar, wife of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) founder Sharad Pawar, underwent surgery at the Breach Candy Hospital in south Mumbai on Friday. The surgery was related to her hand, the functionary from the Sharad Pawar faction said without elaborating. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar visited Silver Oak, the official residence of the NCP supremo, to meet Pratibha Pawar after she was discharged from hospital, the party functionary said, reported news agency PTI.
NCP Split
On July 2, in a sudden turn of events, Ajit Pawar along with prominent NCP leaders joined hands with the Maharashtra government led by Shiv Sena leader and CM Ekanth Shinde and BJP's Devendra Fadnavis. Ajit Pawar took oath as deputy CM along with eight others who were sworn in as ministers. With time, it became clear that Ajit Pawar had "rebelled" against his uncle and mentor Sharad Pawar, and also asked him to "consider retirement" and give his "blessings to the next generation," while speaking to his supporters at a rally.
