Uddhav Thackeray, Sharad Pawar meet amid rumours of rupture within MVA

Uddhav Thackeray is meeting Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar at his residence on Tuesday evening. The meeting comes at a time when the NCP’s role in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), the coalition comprising the Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena along with Congress and NCP, has come under serious question. Thackeray has arrived at Sharad Pawar’s residence, reports ANI. Thackeray is accompanied by Sanjay Raut in the meeting. 

#WATCH | Former Maharashtra Chief Minister, Uddhav Thackeray arrives at the residence of NCP chief, Sharad Pawar, in Mumbai. pic.twitter.com/jJQujOhsiu

— ANI (@ANI)

Earlier this week, Ajit Pawar, NCP leader and Sharad Pawar's nephew, who had once joined Devendra Fadnavis to become the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra for a few hours. On Sunday, speaking at a farmers' meeting in Maharashtra's Satara, Ajit Pawar attacked Uddhav Thackeray without naming him, saying, "Some people don't know what to say when they get a microphone in their hands. They call themselves fadtus (worthless), while others call them Kartoos (cartridge)." 

Meanwhile, there are reports that Ajit Pawar is exploring his options outside of the MVA ahead of the APMC-level elections.

Earlier on Tuesday, Sharad Pawar said the NCP does not agree with the demand of anti-BJP parties for a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe, it would not go against their stand for the sake of Opposition unity. Pawar had said if a JPC is formed, looking at the BJP's numerical strength in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, the ruling party will have 14-15 members in the panel, while the Opposition will have five to six MPs.