Uddhav Thackeray meets Ajit Pawar a day after Oppn alliance talks

Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday met former ally and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in the first formal meet-and-greet after the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader switched sides and joined the Eknath Shinde government.

The meeting took place while Thackeray, a member of the state legislative council, was attending the house proceedings and a day after the former Chief Minister took part in a key meeting with other opposition parties in Bengaluru.

It was also his first visit to the legislature after deputy chairperson Neelam Gorhe, his one-time party colleague, joined the Shinde-led rival Shiv Sena.

"I met Ajit Pawar and congratulated him, and I hope he will do the right work for the people. I have worked with him in 2019 as well and I know his style of work," Thackeray said after meeting Ajit Pawar, who is also the finance minister, at his office.

"I asked him to do good work for the state and people," he said. "I am confident that people of the state will get aid because he has the keys to the treasury," Thackeray added.

Pawar was also the Deputy Chief Minister when Uddhav Thackeray was Chief Minister before a split in the Shiv Sena led to the collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government.

The political landscape of Maharashtra underwent a significant shift last month when Pawar and eight other Nationalist Congress Party MLAs joined the Shinde government. This move effectively split the party, which was founded by Sharad Pawar.

The split came a year after Eknath Shinde engineered a revolt against Uddhav Thackeray and became the Maharashtra Chief Minister with the help of the BJP.

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