Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar (NCP-SP) and Parth Pawar met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi this week [1, 2].
The meeting occurs amid reports of a potential fracture within the Nationalist Congress Party-Sharad Pawar (NCP-SP) that could shift the balance of power in the state.
Reports indicate the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) asked Sunetra Pawar to meet with Shah to discuss a possible finance ministry portfolio [2]. This outreach is part of a broader political strategy referred to as “Operation Maharashtra” [1, 2].
Speculation regarding a party split has intensified as reports suggest a significant number of NCP-SP members may defect to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Specifically, five out of eight NCP-SP MPs are reportedly planning to leave the party and join the NDA [1].
While some reports characterized the meeting as a request from the BJP for Pawar to visit Shah if she desired the finance ministry, other sources provided visuals confirming the meeting had already taken place [1, 2].
The discussions in Delhi follow a period of instability within the NCP-SP, as the BJP seeks to consolidate its influence over Maharashtra's legislative and executive functions [1, 2].
“Sunetra Pawar (NCP-SP) and Parth Pawar met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi”
The potential defection of five out of eight NCP-SP MPs would represent a majority collapse of the party's parliamentary presence. If Sunetra Pawar accepts a finance ministry role under the NDA, it would signal a formal realignment of the Pawar family's political influence, potentially neutralizing the NCP-SP's opposition to the BJP in Maharashtra.
