Sharad Pawar's surprise visit to Shinde sparks fresh buzz in Mahrashtra

An unexpected meeting between NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has set off intense political speculation, with observers viewing it as far more than a routine courtesy call amid growing uncertainty within the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).

On Wednesday, Pawar was at the state legislature to attend a meeting of the high-powered committee on the long-pending Maharashtra-Karnataka border dispute.

After the meeting concluded, the NCP (SP) chief headed straight to Shinde's chamber, accompanied by senior party leaders Jayant Patil, Jitendra Awhad and Shashikant Shinde.

At the time, Eknath Shinde was chairing a cabinet meeting.

According to his office, the Deputy Chief Minister paused the meeting upon learning of Pawar's arrival, welcomed the veteran leader with a shawl and bouquet, and spent around 15 minutes with him before returning to the cabinet meeting.

Pawar, however, remained in the chamber for some more time to interact with his party legislators.

While neither leader disclosed what transpired during the meeting, and Shinde's office described it as merely a courtesy call, its timing has fuelled intense political speculation.

The meeting has also drawn attention because Pawar chose to meet Shinde instead of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, widely regarded as the Mahayuti alliance's principal strategist.

The interaction comes at a delicate time for the opposition MVA, comprising the Congress, NCP (SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT), which has been grappling with internal strains following the defection of six Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena MPs to Shinde's camp.

The development has triggered fresh concerns over the alliance's cohesion ahead of future political battles.

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