Prashant Kishor meets NCP's Sunetra Pawar. What's brewing in Maharashtra?

Just days after his win in the Bankipur bypoll, Prashant Kishor met Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Sunetra Pawar, triggering fresh speculation in the state's political landscape. What's behind the hush-hush PK-Sunetra meet? Read on to find out.

After his stunning electoral debut in Bihar, Prashant Kishor has now come into the political spotlight in Maharashtra. On Thursday, the Jan Suraaj founder, fresh from his win in the Bankipur bypoll, met Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Sunetra Pawar, triggering fresh speculation in a state that has seen quite a few political churns.

Kishor met Sunetra at her official residence, Devgiri, in South Mumbai for five hours - their second such meeting in three months. PK, as Kishor is fondly called, earlier met Sunetra in May. Sunetra took over the reins of the NCP after the death of her husband, then Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, in a plane crash in January this year.

WHY PRASHANT KISHOR MET SUNETRA PAWAR?

NCP general secretary Sanjay Khodke confirmed that the two leaders met, but stopped short of divulging what was discussed. It is believed that the Thursday meeting as well as the one held in May was organised by Sunetra's son and Rajya Sabha MP Parth Pawar. The meeting between Kishor and Sunetra in May had invited criticism from the BJP.

At that time, Parth said not much should be read into the meeting. He claimed that Kishor had close ties with the Pawar family.

"Prashant ji is a friend and like a brother... To the best of my knowledge, it has been a few years since he quit the political advisory space. I don't see that changing, but I can assure all those who are interested that we are and will always be available for each other wherever needed," Parth had tweeted.

The context behind the latest meeting is not known.

However, the fact that it came just days after Kishor wrested Bankipur - a BJP bastion for over three decades - is unlikely to sit well with the saffron party. Notably, the seat was won by BJP president Nitin Nabin in the last five elections.

While maintaining that the meeting was the NCP's internal matter, BJP leader and Maharashtra minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule had a message for Sunetra. "Do not take any step that might cause a rift in the alliance (Mahayuti)," NDTV quoted Bawankule as saying.

Speculation is rife that the NCP is keen on Kishor becoming the party's political advisor. According to a report in TOI, the NCP parted ways with the firm that crafted its strategy during the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly polls.

While Kishor is no longer actively involved in the day-to-day operations of I-PAC, the political consultancy firm he founded, he is still believed to be playing an important role behind the scenes.

IS EVERYTHING WELL BETWEEN NCP AND BJP?

For the NCP, the meeting comes at a politically significant time. Recently, differences have cropped up between the NCP and the BJP amid buzz over a possible rapprochement between the NDA and Sharad Pawar's faction.

Recently, Sharad Pawar, the wily old fox of Maharashtra, met Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde. Moreover, sources told India Today TV that senior NCP (SP) leaders also held secretive, late-night meetings with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis last month.

Talks of bringing the NCP(SP) into the NDA fold have made Sunetra Pawar uncomfortable. The BJP leadership, however, wants both factions of the NCP to reunite before any move, sources said.

Against this backdrop, Sunetra's meeting with Kishor, just days after his bypoll win, is being seen as more than a routine interaction.

The NCP chief is believed to be looking to strengthen her party's political machinery. Sunetra, who has largely been involved in social work in Baramati, took the political plunge only in 2024. However, she lost the Baramati Lok Sabha seat to Supriya Sule. She later won the Baramati assembly seat in the May bypoll.

Her back-to-back meetings with Kishor has fuelled speculation that the NCP may be looking to bring in PK's expertise amid the changing dynamics of Maharashtra's political landscape.

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