PUNE, 24 December 2007 — In a major political development, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and federal Agriculture minister Sharad Pawar called on Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray at the latter’s residence yesterday.
Pawar went to Matoshree, Thackeray’s residence in the suburb of Bandra, just before 1 p.m. and stepped out after nearly two hours. Details of what transpired at the unexpected meeting are not known.
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut told IANS that it was “a meeting between two great leaders who are also old friends.” Since it was lunchtime, they may have had lunch, Raut said in a lighter vein. The meeting immediately became the talking point in Maharashtra political circles.
The outcome of the Gujarat elections and Maharashtra Revenue Minister Narayan Rane’s outburst against Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, have added to the importance of the meeting.
A top Sena source said: “Something dramatic could happen around the New Year.” The Sena is worried about a possible change of guard by the Congress, if that brings Rane’s name to the forefront. Rane is a former Shiv Sainik who left the party nearly three years ago.
Politicians here speculated yesterday that the Thackeray-Pawar meeting may have had something to do with keeping Rane out of the chief minister’s post.
Earlier, speaking about Gujarat Assembly elections, Pawar said that the Bharatiya Janata Party victory in Gujarat was expected and did not come as a surprise. However, this would strengthen stability and cohesiveness of the United Progressive Alliance government in New Delhi, he said.
The Gujarat chief minister and the BJP succeeded in gaining victory in the polls solely on the basis of raising communal atmosphere.
Pawar dismissed all speculations of midterm general elections in the country.
