NCP former minister set to return to Maharashtra Cabinet, sources say

Major developments appear to be under way in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Sources said a former minister of the party will soon return to the Cabinet.

According to reliable sources, a former minister of the party and a senior minister recently met leaders of the Mahayuti alliance in Delhi. The sources said the meeting took place in Delhi on Sunday night.

The NCP's senior leadership gave the green signal for the return of the ministers concerned, and the former minister then went to Delhi and met BJP leaders, it is learnt.

For the same former minister, party national president Sunetra Pawar, Parth Pawar and Jay Pawar called on Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at the Varsha residence on Thursday night. Dhananjay Munde was also present at the meeting. It is also learnt that the Chief Minister was requested to give this NCP leader, in the forthcoming Cabinet reshuffle, the additional portfolio held by Sunetra Pawar.

Sunetra Pawar had earlier met Amit Shah on the same subject. The matter was then discussed at a meeting of the party's core committee in Mumbai. Talks on the subject have thus been held in Delhi, Mumbai and at the Varsha residence.

The party's core committee will meet again today at 4 pm at the Devgiri residence. Attention is now on what is decided at this meeting, the first since Thursday's meeting at Varsha.

Sources said the former minister who returns to the Cabinet will be given the additional portfolio held by Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar. The additional portfolio held by Sunetra Pawar is thus at the centre of all these discussions. All of this information has been provided by sources.