However, another MVA ally, Congress, said that the meeting between Ajit and Sharad Pawar may be held in public interest, and not necessarily for political reasons
Sharad Pawar and his nephew Ajit Pawar have met three times in the past fortnight at various events across Maharashtra. File pic
As three meetings between Sharad Pawar and his estranged nephew and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister (CM) Ajit Pawar over a fortnight sparked speculation over their political reunion, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) on Monday said that the duo has already come together, reported PTI.
Reacting to the buzz, the Congress, which is an ally of Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (SP), said that such meetings may be held in public interest and not necessarily for political reasons.
From the ruling camp, Shiv Sena Minister Sanjay Shirsat said he would not be surprised if the Pawars mend fences and join hands, PTI reported.
"They have already given indications. Rohit Pawar (grand nephew of Sharad Pawar) used to criticise Ajit Pawar regularly, but now he is at Ajit's feet," the Shiv Sena leader said.
Political circles are abuzz with the rapprochement speculation since the NCP (SP) chief and Ajit Pawar, who heads NCP, shared the stage for the third time in a fortnight on Monday, this time to discuss the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in agriculture and the sugar industry in Pune.
However, Ajit Pawar downplayed the political significance of these meetings and said families come together on occasions such as engagements, and there was no need to interpret them from any other perspective, PTI reported.
Meetings held to resolve issues related to cooperative, education sectors: Chhagan Bhujbal
"Both Pawars have come together already. Have you seen us talking to Eknath Shinde (who rebelled in May 2022) or sharing a public platform with him? We won't meet," Shiv Sena (UBT) Member of Parliament (MP) Sanjay Raut said.
Taking a jibe at the NCP leadership, Sanjay Raut said, "We don't possess education and sugar institutions. We don't have Vasantdada Sugar Institute, Rayat Shikshan Sanstha, Vidya Pratisthan etc [mentored by Sharad Pawar]".
Meanwhile, Congress Legislature Party leader Vijay Wadettiwar said the Pawars must be thinking that as there is a buzz of two cousins coming together, so what's the harm in the uncle-nephew reunion?
He was referring to the speculation of political rapprochement triggered by recent statements of estranged cousins Uddhav and Raj Thackeray.
"Such meetings may be in the public interest and not necessarily for political reasons," Wadettiwar said when asked about the latest interaction between Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar.
NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal said the meetings between his party chief Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar take place at different institutions to resolve issues regarding the cooperative and education sectors.
Relations between the uncle and the nephew strained after Ajit Pawar engineered a split in NCP in July 2023 and joined the Mahayuti government. Several legislators of NCP joined the Ajit Pawar camp, leaving his uncle to battle the biggest political crisis of his life.
In the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly Elections, the Ajit Pawar-led NCP bagged 41 of the 57 seats it contested, decimating his uncle's faction's tally to 10.
(With PTI inputs)
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