Ajit Pawar meets NCP chief Sharad Pawar after stepping down as Maharashtra Deputy CM

Ajit Pawar decided to meet NCP chief Sharad Pawar after several party leaders urged him to end differences with the party patriarch and return to the party fold.

New Delhi: Hours after stepping down as Maharashtra deputy chief minister, senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar on Tuesday night met his uncle and party chief Sharad Pawar at latter's 'Silver Oak' residence in Mumbai. Sources said that Sharad Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule was also present at the meeting.

Pawar Jr decided to meet NCP supremo after several party leaders urged him to end differences with the party patriarch and return to the party fold. Ajit Pawar sprung a surprise on Saturday (November 23) after he unilaterally decided to support the BJP-led government in Maharashtra and took oath as deputy chief minister of Maharashtra. Ajit's decision to support the BJP did not go down well with Sharad Pawar who publicly announced that Ajit Pawar had acted on his own and the NCP had nothing to do with it. Ajit, however, resigned as deputy CM on Tuesday (November 26), hours after the Supreme Court mandated a floor test in the Assembly. Though Pawar did not expel Ajit Pawar from the party he decided to sack the Baramati MLA as the NCP legislature party leader.

Ajit Pawar's resignation led to the fall of the government headed by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also decided to step down due to lack of majority. Fadnavis' resignation allowed the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance to stake claim to form the government and Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray is now set to take oath as the new chief minister on Thursday.

Senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal was also present at the between held at Pawar's residence. Talking to media after the meeting, Bhujbal said that Sharad Pawar should make Ajit Pawar return to the NCP because he has done a lot for the party.

"Several people have worked hard for the NCP. I want to mention, Ajit Dada's contribution is big in this regard. Mistakes happen...We need some key people to be around to strengthen this alliance," Bhujbal said, adding that Jayant Patil and Praful Patel take the initiative to bring him back. We request you to allow us to do that," Bhujbal appealed to Sharad Pawar.