Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) chief Sharad Pawar met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Parliament on Wednesday morning, with his daughter and party MP Supriya Sule also present during the meeting. Pawar handed over a letter to the Prime Minister, though neither side has revealed the contents of the communication or the issues discussed.

The meeting comes just a day after Pawar visited the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) protest site at Jantar Mantar, where he met the party's founder Abhijeet Dipke, adding to political interest surrounding his recent engagements.

Letter Submitted to Prime Minister

During the meeting inside Parliament, Sharad Pawar was seen greeting Prime Minister Modi before presenting him with a letter.

While photographs of the interaction were released, there has been no official statement from the Prime Minister's Office or the NCP (SP) regarding the agenda or outcome of the discussion.

The absence of details has led to political speculation, particularly as Parliament continues to witness debates over several key legislative and political issues.

Meeting Comes After Visit to CJP Protest

On the previous day, Sharad Pawar visited the ongoing CJP protest at Jantar Mantar, where he met party founder Abhijeet Dipke.

During the visit, Dipke came down from the protest stage to receive Pawar, highlighting the veteran leader's engagement with the protest movement that has become a major political issue in the national capital.

Pawar's back-to-back meetings with opposition protesters and the Prime Minister have drawn significant political attention.

Speculation Over Delimitation Bill

The Parliament meeting has reignited speculation about the NCP (SP)'s position on the proposed delimitation bill and its future political strategy.

Political observers believe the Centre may seek broader support if the legislation is introduced in Parliament. The NCP (SP), which has eight Lok Sabha MPs, could play a role in the numbers required for the passage of significant legislation.

However, no official confirmation has linked Wednesday's meeting to the proposed bill.

Supriya Sule Rules Out NDA Entry

Earlier, Supriya Sule indicated that the party could consider supporting the proposed delimitation legislation if the government provides a written assurance that the total number of Lok Sabha seats would be increased by 50 percent.

At the same time, she categorically ruled out any possibility of the NCP (SP) joining the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) or merging with it.

Her statement has attempted to distance the party from speculation about any immediate political realignment.

Modi and Pawar Share Long-Standing Personal Equation

Despite remaining political rivals for decades, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sharad Pawar have maintained a cordial personal relationship.

Over the years, both leaders have publicly acknowledged each other's political experience and have met on several occasions to discuss issues related to governance and Maharashtra.

In 2017, the Modi government conferred the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian honour, on Sharad Pawar. Earlier, during a visit to Baramati in 2015, Prime Minister Modi had praised Pawar's political experience despite their differences.

Political Rivalry Continues

Although the two leaders have maintained cordial personal ties, they have frequently exchanged sharp political criticism during election campaigns.

During the 2014 Maharashtra Assembly elections, Prime Minister Modi strongly criticised the NCP, while Sharad Pawar has repeatedly questioned several policies of the BJP-led Central government.

With no official details emerging from Wednesday's meeting, political circles are expected to closely watch the NCP (SP)'s next moves both inside and outside Parliament.

Speaking at a press conference in Mumbai on Wednesday, NCP(SP) MP Supriya Sule said her party has received no formal proposal or arrangement regarding the Bill and would only announce an official position after studying the final draft once it's tabled — within 24 hours of that happening, she said. She dismissed the day's widespread media coverage, saying a report published in one newspaper that morning had been picked up and repeated across outlets without any actual confirmation from the party. She also firmly rejected separate speculation that NCP(SP) was moving toward formally joining the NDA, saying the party remains exactly where it has stood and isn't going anywhere.

The reports Sule was responding to had cited unnamed sources claiming NCP(SP) was likely to support both the Women's Reservation Bill and the Delimitation Bill during Parliament's Monsoon Session, which begins July 20 — while stopping short of formally joining the ruling alliance. The government is expected to introduce the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill during that session, proposing to raise the Lok Sabha's strength to 850 seats and set in motion the next delimitation exercise, a proposal that Congress leader P. Chidambaram has publicly urged both NCP(SP) and the DMK to reject, arguing the current delimitation formula would unfairly reduce parliamentary representation for states that have successfully controlled population growth.

Speculation had been fuelled further by a string of high-profile meetings in Mumbai on Tuesday. NCP(SP) state president Jayant Patil met Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at the CM's residence, shortly after Ajit Pawar-faction leaders Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare had done the same. Sule addressed one particular flashpoint directly — reports that Sharad Pawar had been seen sitting in Deputy CM Eknath Shinde's cabin — explaining that Pawar had simply stopped there because he has difficulty walking long distances, and that Shinde had graciously stepped out of an ongoing Cabinet meeting to greet him.

Sule said she had proactively reached out to Congress state leaders Harshwardhan Sapkal and Satej Patil, along with Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Sanjay Raut, to reassure Maha Vikas Aghadi allies before the speculation could cause confusion within the coalition. She urged the media to rely only on official, on-record statements going forward rather than anonymous sourcing.

Whether Wednesday's denial closes the story or simply delays it, the underlying dynamic Sule was responding to — persistent reports of NCP(SP) drifting closer to the NDA, run alongside her own on-record denials — has now repeated enough times this year that it's likely to resurface again once the Delimitation Bill's actual draft becomes public.