Sharad Pawar, the leader of the Nationalist Congress Party, is meeting Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray at his official house Varsha. According to sources, cabinet minister Jeetendra Awhad, Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil, and Aditya Thackeray will also attend the meeting, which is the first between the two leaders following a public spat with the Congress and rumours that the Shiv Sena is considering a reconciliation with the BJP, its 35-year ally.
According to sources, the topic of discussion might be concerns involving the ruling Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi coalition and former minister Anil Deshmukh.
After Congress leader Nana Patole said that the alliance with the Sena had a “expiration date” and that his party will run alone in the upcoming assembly elections, cracks emerged among Maharashtra’s ruling coalition.
As the Sena sought to show unity, Congress’s Prithviraj Chavan derailed it with a statement that the next time the coalition will have a “Congress Chief Minister.”
Mr Thackeray met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi one-on-one earlier this month. The Shiv Sena described it as a matter of etiquette and stated that personal relationships are valued regardless of political affiliations.
The resignation of Amil Deshmukh and the circumstances surrounding it have been a sore point for Sharad Pawar’s party.
After the Bombay High Court ordered a preliminary CBI inquiry into corruption accusations levelled against him by former Mumbai police chief Param Bir Singh, Mr Deshmukh resigned in April claiming “moral concerns.” Mr Deshmukh was accused of corruption in police transfers and postings by Mr Singh.
Mr. Deshmukh did not appear in front of the Enforcement Directorate today for interrogation in a money laundering case. The 71-year-old had sought a virtual contact, citing COVID-19 and his advanced age.
Mr Deshmukh had requested a new date for his court appearance in the money laundering case on Saturday.
