DECODING A 'SECRET' MEETING

The twists and turns in the uncle-nephew saga seem to be unending; in the latest episode, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and his uncle Sharad Pawar went into a hush-hush huddle in Pune at the residence of a businessman close to both.

- ROHIT CHANDAVARKAR

Though subsequently the uncle denied it was a ‘secret’ meeting, it nonetheless added to the buzz about what was brewing in the political corridors.

Trying to demystify the developments, sources in the NCP told FPJ that Ajit Pawar had asked for this meeting to extend an olive branch to the senior Pawar since the former’s rebellion last month.

Some NCP leaders put the development in perspective by saying that Ajit is almost convinced that he may not be able to carry the weight of the entire party edifice on his shoulders, unless he has the uncle’s blessings.

So, apparently, Ajit asked his uncle whether he can allow NCP State President Jayant Patil to join his breakaway group and be part of the state cabinet.

But there was another layer to these talks: Credible sources inside the NCP said Ajit had in fact conveyed the BJP offer to Sharad Pawar that if he goes along with the NDA, his daughter and Baramati MP Supriya Sule will be given a cabinet berth in the central government.

‘SECRET’ OFFER