Maharashtra: We requested Sharad Pawar to keep NCP united, says Praful Patel

Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar along with other party leaders after meeting with NCP president Sharad Pawar, at YB Chavan Centre (Pic/PTI)

On Sunday, Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar and NCP ministers from his camp met party president Sharad Pawar and requested him to keep the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) united.

This unscheduled meeting between Sharad Pawar and the Ajit Pawar camp was the first one after he rebelled and joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government on July 2.

Ministers Hasan Mushrif, Chhagan Bhujbal, Aditi Tatkare, and Dilip Walse Patil also met Sharad Pawar at the Y B Chavan Centre.

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Sources from the Sharad Pawar camp said NCP state president Jayant Patil and chief whip of NCP (Sharad Pawar camp) Jitendra Awhad also reached the Chavan Centre.

NCP's Rajya Sabha member Praful Patel, who belongs to the Ajit Pawar camp, said, "Sharad Pawar is like an idol to us and we met him to seek his blessings."

"We requested him (Sharad Pawar) to keep the NCP united. We also asked him to think about our request over the next some days and guide us. He listened to us quietly but said nothing," Patel said.

Commenting on the meeting, BJP's Mumbai unit president Ashish Shelar said, "The Ajit Pawar faction still considers Sharad Pawar as their leader. There is nothing wrong in meeting a senior leader".

Ajit Pawar and eight MLAs of NCP joined the Shinde-Fadnavis government on July 2.

(with inputs from agencies)