MUMBAI: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) minister Chhagan Bhujbal on Monday met NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar and sought his intervention in the ongoing Maratha-OBC impasse.
The meeting between the two leaders triggered speculations of Bhujbal joining the Sharad Pawar-led NCP. However, the NCP leader clarified that he met Pawar to resolve the ongoing conflict between the two communities over reservation.
Bhujbal said that before visiting Silver Oak (Pawar’s residence), he had only informed his party leader Praful Patel. “Since I had not taken a prior appointment, I had to wait for one-and-half-hours. But I decided to meet Sharad Pawar for the larger interest of the state and society. He was ill and taking rest,” the NCP leader said.
“Sharad Pawar has the ability to resolve any issue that even the ministers and chief minister find tough to handle,” he added. The meeting comes days after Bhujbal slammed Pawar at a public rally in Baramati over his absence in an all-party meeting convened by the state government to address concerns regarding Maratha reservation. “I requested Sharad Pawar to look into this matter because the situation is very tense,” he stated.