Twice in two days, Ajit Pawar & Co. meet Sharad Pawar, yearn for NCP unity

Over a fortnight after dumping Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar, the splinter group led by Ajit Pawar met the party patriarch on Monday with a similar plea for the second time in two days – his nod to keep the party “intact”. New Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar sprang a surprise on his uncle Sharad Pawar – making an unscheduled call on the latter on Monday afternoon, accompanied by over two dozen MLAs from his group. Accompanied by the faction’s Working President Praful Patel, Ajit Pawar, and others suddenly trooped down to the Y. B. Chavan Centre at Nariman Point to meet Pawar Sr. Pawar initially obliged the duo of Patel and Ajit Pawar with a separate meeting and later he also met over two dozen MLAs who had pulled the rug from under him to switch sides with his nephew’s faction since July 1. Emerging from the meeting, Patel later told media persons that many of the MLAs who were unable to meet Sharad Pawar on Sunday clamoured to go and seek his “blessings”.