Pawar meets Shah, fuels talk of NDA outreach

In a significant political development, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar is understood to have met Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday. Sources said the meeting took place this evening, sparking speculation about the NDA's overtures to Pawar.

The two leaders reportedly met just before Shah participated in the Rajya Sabha discussion on Operation Sindoor.

In July 2023, Ajit Pawar had broken away from the NCP and joined the BJP-Shiv Sena (Shinde) government in Maharashtra, leading to a split in the parent party.

Although the NCP (SP), as part of the INDIA bloc, contested both the 2024 Lok Sabha and Maharashtra Assembly elections against the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance and remains a steadfast ally of the Congress-led opposition, Pawar’s meeting with Shah holds political significance.

This comes at a time when the Opposition has been opposing the ongoing SIR in Bihar and questioning the Centre’s decision to abruptly end the offensive against Pakistan following Operation Sindoor.