Talk of two camps in Ajit Pawar's NCP as Patel and Supriya Sule meet in Delhi

Activity has picked up in recent days in both the Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar camps of the Nationalist Congress Party, prompting talk that Ajit Pawar's party has split into two groups.

A few days ago, a party delegation met Union Home Minister Amit Shah. It included senior Ajit Pawar camp leaders Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare, along with a few other key leaders. It had emerged that Tatkare and Patel complained to Shah about Parth Pawar's way of working.

Meanwhile, when Sharad Pawar, president of the Sharad Pawar camp, was admitted to hospital, Praful Patel visited him there. That meeting was also widely discussed. There is also talk that Sunil Tatkare and Praful Patel are unhappy in the party. Minister Aditi Tatkare has expressed the feeling that Sunil Tatkare is being sidelined.

A few days ago, Sunetra Pawar called a meeting of the party's MLAs in Mumbai. According to sources, she asked the MLAs at the meeting whether they get phone calls from Sharad Pawar.

Sources have now pointed to another major development. According to them, Praful Patel and Supriya Sule held an important meeting in Delhi on Friday. The two leaders are said to have talked for about 35 minutes in the Parliament House complex. After the Sule-Patel conversation, Sunil Tatkare and Praful Patel are also reported to have held discussions.

In view of all these developments, talk of two camps has begun: Sunetra Pawar and Parth Pawar on one side, and Praful Patel and Tatkare on the other.