Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray held closed door meeting to discuss need for “alliance of like-minded parties”

Mumbai: Sharad Pawar, the president of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is back to his old ways of ruffling minis political storms. He revealed a secret, saying that he held a closed-door meeting with Uddhav Thackeray, the president of Shiv Sena chief at a time when he has been confused about pulling out from the Devendra Fadnavis led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government.

The timing could be said to be perfect, just when the recently defected former chief minister Narayan Rane who left Congress to float his own party has challenged the Sena. Rane said Uddhav is playing the spoilsport over his induction to the cabinet and will pull the plug. The minute Sena pulls out of the government his elected legislators will jump over to join the Devendra Fadnavis government.

Also Read: NCP day dreams of Sharad Pawar becoming Prime Minister in 2019

Thackeray has however stressed he did not wish to withdraw from the BJP government over Rane’s induction. The whispers in political corridors are Sena may quit from the government the minute BJP inducts Rane in the state cabinet. Addressing the concluding two-day session of NCP party office bearers at Karjat in Raigad district on Tuesday, Pawar disclosed that Thackeray met him last week in Mumbai at his residence ‘Silver Oak.’ “I feel Thackeray is not comfortable with the BJP and is seriously considering withdrawing support from the government,” said Pawar.

Pawar’s statement comes in the backdrop of growing rift between the BJP and the Sena. According to a BJP insider, “Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis will not take decision to reshuffle cabinet before the state assembly polls in Gujarat. The polls will be held on December 9 and 14 and the results will be declared on December 18.”

BJP fears that if the reshuffle of the cabinet is held before December, Sena may put the BJP government in minority. “Taking political mileage of Sena’s confused mindset, Pawar revealed of his meeting with Uddhav which has put Sena in trouble. Pawar has also succeeded in creating a doubt in the minds of BJP leadership regarding Thackeray,” claimed Madhu Chavan, BJP spokesperson.

On the contrary, the Sena insider said Pawar’s statement is nothing but to widen gap between the Sena and the BJP. “We are not happy with the government, despite being in it. However, we will not withdraw our support,” said Sena leader. “Rane is not a big issue for us. We are confident BJP will not induct him in cabinet till 2018 end or even till 2019 Lok Sabha polls,” he claimed.