Is Sharad Pawar setting stage for Ajit Pawar joining him? NCP chief says ‘no conflict, no split in party’

livemint.com:

In a major statement, NCP chief Sharad Pawar hinted that that things might be mending between him and his nephew Ajit Pawar. Sharad Pawar, who is in Baramati currently, said, there is no conflict that he (Ajit Pawar) is our leader, there is no split in NCP. “How does a split happen in a party? It happens when a big group separates from the party at the national level.

But there is no such situation in NCP today. Yes, some leaders took a different stance but this can't be called a split. They can do so in a democracy" There are speculation that Ajit Pawar might be willing to join Sharad Pawar's party again.

With the Ajit Pawar group still using Sharad Pawar’s picture on some of its billboards, it is clear that the faction is not confident of winning elections without the support of Sharad Pawar. Earlier this month, a "secret" meeting between senior Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar at a Pune businessman's residence caused a stir in political circles. Senior Nationalist Congress Party leader Jayant Patil was also present.

The rendezvous took place in Koregaon Park, with Sharad Pawar arriving at 1 pm and leaving at 5 pm. Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar was purportedly seen leaving the premises in a car at 6:45 pm. Ajit Pawar later confirmed his presence and cited that he interacted with Sharad Pawar.

“The media is giving different kinds of publicity to a meeting that took place between family members, leading to confusion. There is no reason to think that anything unusual transpired at the meeting," Ajit Pawar later told the media. There were speculations that Sharad Pawar might be joining Eknath Shinde camp, but in his speeches, has declared that he would not join the BJP at any cost.