Pawar-Modi Meet Revives NDA Buzz

Mumbai: Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar and party working president Supriya Sule met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Parliament on Wednesday, rekindling speculation about a possible political realignment of the party with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance.

Although Pawar said the meeting was confined to problems faced by farmers in Maharashtra, its timing raised eyebrows among his alliance partners in the State amid reports of possible reconciliation between the two NCP factions.

Photographs of the meeting showed Modi receiving the veteran leader at the door of his room. The Prime Minister and Pawar were also seen sharing a laugh and exchanging notes.

Pawar submitted a memorandum detailing farmers’ problems, including inadequate irrigation, erratic rainfall, drought, poor water management and shortcomings in the implementation of welfare schemes.

“The farmer does not merely want relief, grants or loan waivers, but a fair price for their hard work and a transparent, accountable administration,” Pawar said in the memorandum.

He urged the Centre to correct policy failures, improve water management and ensure that agricultural welfare programmes were implemented effectively. He said administrative apathy and policy shortcomings had aggravated farmers’ distress.

The meeting, however, acquired political significance as it came amid reports that the NCP (SP) was exploring the possibility of reuniting with the Ajit Pawar-led NCP and moving closer to the ruling NDA.

Pawar and Sule had only a day earlier joined protesters at Jantar Mantar, where demonstrations were being held over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak. The NCP (SP) has supported the demand for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

The contrast between the party’s participation in the Opposition protest and the cordial meeting with the Prime Minister added to the speculation over its future political course.

Pawar, however, maintained that the interaction with the Prime Minister was related solely to agricultural and irrigation issues.