Post standoff with Cong, Pawar meets Mumbai NCP leaders

Against the backdrop of the end of a week long standoff with the Congress, Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Friday met Maharashtra Nationalist Congress Party unit chief Madhukar Pichad and other party leaders separately to discuss the political situation.

Pichad, Water Resources Minister Sunil Tatkare and Public Undertakings Minister Jaidutt Kshirsagar met Pawar separately on Friday morning at his residence at Silver Oak Estate in south Mumbai.

Party sources said Pawar briefed Pichad about the deliberations with the Congress leaders on the standoff.

"Pawar said that myself and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar should co-ordinate with Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on the dates of the co-ordination committee meeting. I will contact Chavan next week to finalise the details. The new executive and office bearers' committee of the state NCP is ready and will be announced next week," Pichad told PTI.

Meanwhile, Tatkare and Kshirsagar who were under attack from opposition during the just concluded monsoon session, on irrigation white paper and toll collection on a by-pass road in Beed city respectively, also met Pawar, sources said.