CONFIRMED: Uddhav Thackeray is Covid negative! Sharad Pawar calls on beleaguered Maharashtra CM

Pawar was accompanied by his daughter and NCP MP Supriya Sule and party minister Jitendra Awhad. It was reported earlier that Thackeray tested positive for Covid-19, but RTPCR test has now confirmed a negative result.

Mumbai: The political crisis in Maharashtra is continuing to show new twists and turns, ever since it was triggered by Shiv Sena minister Eknath Shinde's rebellion. And on Wednesday, NCP president Sharad Pawar called on Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. Pawar was accompanied by his daughter and NCP MP Supriya Sule and party minister Jitendra Awhad. Earlier in the day, it was reported that Thackeray has tested positive for Covid-19. But later, it was revealed that the CM has tested negative. As per the CM's Office, the Chief Minister's antigen report had come out as positive earlier but his RTPCR report is negative.

The NCP leaders held discussions with the chief minister at 'Varsha', his official residence in south Mumbai. However, what transpired at the meeting could not be known.

The meeting took place after Thackeray's live webcast, in which he offered to quit as Maharashtra chief minister and extended an olive branch to rebel Shiv Sena MLAs led by Eknath Shinde, saying he will be happy if a Shiv Sainik succeeds him. Earlier in the day, Congress leader Kamal Nath also spoke to Thackeray over phone. The rebellion by Shinde, who has claimed the support of 46 MLAs, has pushed the two-and-a-half-year old Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government to the brink. The Sena has 55 members in the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly.

In the wee hours of Wednesday, Shinde and other rebel MLAs were flown to Guwahati in Assam from Surat, where they were camping since early Tuesday.

(With PTI inputs)