Pawar brokers "truce" between bickering NCP leaders

He initiated a "patch up" between squabbling party leaders from Konkan, state NCP president Bhaskar Jadhav and Raigad guardian minister Sunil Tatkare

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar today initiated a "patch up" between squabbling party leaders from Konkan, state NCP president Bhaskar Jadhav and Raigad guardian minister Sunil Tatkare.

"Pawar saheb explained to us that our staying united will lead to party's growth in the region," Jadhav said, after the party chief held a meeting with senior leaders, including the duo.

"There is a reason behind everything. We all should observe a lakshman rekha. I concede that the bickering, which are bound to be there in any party, should not have been made public," Jadhav said.

Tatkare, Maharashtra water resources minister, said, "there are sometimes some misunderstandings... The party leadership put its views before us."

"The party leadership said we have to strengthen NCP not only in Konkan but also in rest of Maharashtra," he said.

"The effect of the understanding reached today will surely be reflected at the party organisation and worker level," he said. "In the next elections, we will show the outcome through poll results," Tatkare said.

The meeting came in the backdrop of differences between the two powerful NCP leaders in coastal Konkan. Jadhav had recently lamented that the party was not growing in Konkan, in a veiled criticism of Tatkare.

Though Tatkare did not react to Jadhav's statement, his supporters had said Jadhav should refrain from making any comments against the minister.

"NCP workers in Raigad district have been hurt by the comments made by Jadhav targeting Tatkare. Such kind of statements are not healthy for any political party and we expect our senior leaders to take note of it," Cidco director and Tatkare supporter, Vasant Bhoir, had said.