Overview
- Sharad Pawar met Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde at the Vidhan Bhavan in a brief courtesy visit that was publicly reported, a meeting several outlets said took place on Wednesday.
- NCP (SP) leaders including Supriya Sule and Bajrang Sonawane have repeatedly denied any unrest, said all eight NCP (SP) Lok Sabha MPs remain united, and ruled out merger talks with the Congress or alignment with the NDA.
- Senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan told reporters he had information that 'five or six' NCP (SP) MPs were restless, a claim party officials have not verified and that intensified the speculation.
- Shiv Sena (UBT) figures such as Sanjay Raut criticised Pawar for meeting Shinde, saying the optics hurt the opposition’s credibility, while some pro-government voices used the episode to suggest realignment possibilities.
- The episode follows earlier splits in Maharashtra politics — including Ajit Pawar’s 2023 break and six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs switching to the Shinde camp — and NCP (SP) leader Eknath Khadse on Sunday confirmed a Delhi visit but said he will stay with Sharad Pawar, underscoring the fragile balance inside the MVA.