There is a strong buzz in Maharashtra’s power corridors about Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s potential return to his uncle Sharad Pawar’s NCP. Speculation heightened following senior Pawar’s remarks in Pune on Wednesday, hinting at Ajit’s comeback to the family. He stressed that while his word as the family head holds sway, the final decision rests with its leaders.

“There is space and place for Ajit in the Pawar family. But the space for him within the party would not be decided by me. Our party workers will take the call. It won’t be an individual decision,” said Pawar.

“There will be consultation within party leaders who firmly stood with me during the bad times,” he added.

Regarding his recent meeting with NCP minister Chhagan Bhujbal at his Pune residence, Sharad Pawar clarified that he initially did not intend to meet him, but Bhujbal wouldn’t leave until he agreed to meet him.

“Bhujbal told me to let bygones be bygones. Politicians should take a stand that will bring two communities together, not push them apart,” Sharad Pawar said.

Recently, his daughter and Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule met with Ajit Pawar’s mother, while Ajit’s wife Sunetra, newly elected to the Rajya Sabha, reportedly met Sharad Pawar in Pune. Sources suggest that the Pawar family sees merit in both uncle and nephew coming together for the greater good of the family and Maharashtra.

These developments unfold against the backdrop of growing dissent within the NCP after its lackluster performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections, where it secured only one seat and lost three. In contrast, the faction led by Sharad Pawar posted an impressive victory, clinching 8 out of the 10 seats it contested.

Earlier, NCP insiders had voiced concerns about Ajit Pawar’s strained relations with party leaders within the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance. Meanwhile, the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), the BJP’s ideological mentor, has pointed fingers at Ajit Pawar for the BJP’s electoral setback in Maharashtra. Sources claim that the RSS is pressuring BJP to snap ties with Ajit Pawar, believing that his induction into the BJP-led government damaged the prospects and image of the BJP. “If BJP wants to return to the government, it will have to snap ties with Ajit Pawar,” according to insiders.

On Thursday, Ajit Pawar met with party colleagues in Pune after key leaders defected to his uncle Sharad Pawar’s faction. Four prominent Pune leaders — former Pimpri-Chinchwad chief Ajit Gavhane, Rahul Bhosale, Pankaj Bhalekar, and Yash Sane — resigned from Ajit Pawar’s camp to join Sharad Pawar’s fold yesterday. Over 20 former corporators, mayors, and unit heads from Pimpri-Chinchwad also crossed over to the Sharad Pawar camp.

The NCP suffered a split in July last year when Ajit Pawar and a group of MLAs walked away from Sharad Pawar to join the Shiv Sena-BJP government. Ajit Pawar subsequently took oath as deputy chief minister alongside eight loyalist lawmakers who were sworn in as ministers.

As the Maharashtra assembly’s tenure nears its end on November 26, the state braces for elections later this year.