Mumbai: A seemingly routine visit inside the Maharashtra Legislature turned into the political talking point of the day after Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) chief Sharad Pawar paid an unexpected visit to Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s office, setting off a fresh round of speculation about shifting political equations in the State.
Pawar had arrived at the Vidhan Bhavan on Wednesday to participate in a high-level meeting on the long-pending Maharashtra-Karnataka border dispute, chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. However, it was his subsequent meeting with Shinde, rather than the border issue, that grabbed political attention.
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According to sources, Shinde was in the middle of a Cabinet meeting when he was informed that Pawar had reached his office. The Deputy Chief Minister reportedly wrapped up the Cabinet discussion early and rushed to receive the veteran leader. Welcoming Pawar with a bouquet, Shinde spent nearly 15 minutes in a closed-door interaction before leaving for his scheduled engagements.
What added further intrigue was Pawar’s decision to remain in Shinde’s chamber even after the Deputy Chief Minister departed. The NCP(SP) patriarch later convened a meeting of his party legislators inside Shinde’s office, a move that immediately fuelled speculation across political circles.
Although neither Pawar nor Shinde disclosed the contents of their discussion, and the Deputy Chief Minister’s office described the interaction as nothing more than a “courtesy call”, the meeting has triggered intense debate over its political significance.
The development comes at a sensitive juncture for the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which has been facing internal turbulence following the recent defection of six Members of Parliament from the Shiv Sena (UBT) to Shinde’s Shiv Sena. Against this backdrop, the Pawar-Shinde interaction has reignited rumours that a section within the NCP(SP) may be exploring closer ties with the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
The meeting also exposed cracks within the MVA, with Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut launching a sharp attack on Pawar’s decision to meet Shinde.
Questioning the necessity of the visit, Raut asked why Pawar had chosen to hold discussions in the Deputy Chief Minister’s office, arguing that the move would send the wrong political message and weaken the credibility of the opposition alliance.
Describing Shinde as a “traitor”, Raut alleged that the Deputy Chief Minister had betrayed the erstwhile Maha Vikas Aghadi government and asserted that opposition leaders should maintain political distance from him.
While acknowledging Pawar’s stature as one of the country’s tallest political leaders, Raut said that conducting a party meeting inside Shinde’s office diminished the veteran leader’s image. He also questioned whether there was no alternative venue available within the Vidhan Bhavan for the NCP(SP) legislators’ meeting.
With both Pawar and Shinde maintaining silence over what transpired behind closed doors, the brief encounter has become the latest subject of political intrigue, adding yet another layer of uncertainty to Maharashtra’s already fluid political landscape.
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