Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sunetra Pawar's meeting with political strategist Prashant Kishor in Mumbai has prompted a caution from a senior BJP leader amid concerns about maintaining cohesion within the ruling Mahayuti alliance. Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said no action should be taken that could create suspicion or mistrust among the alliance partners.

Bawankule described the meeting as an internal matter of the NCP but stressed that all parties in the Mahayuti alliance should follow its code of conduct. "Do not take any step that might cause a rift in the alliance," he said, adding that actions that could sow suspicion among partners or harm any constituent party should be avoided. The BJP leader's remarks came after it emerged that Kishor had met Sunetra Pawar.

Kishor met Sunetra Pawar at her official residence, Devgiri, in south Mumbai, NCP functionary Sanjay Khodke confirmed. No details were disclosed about the issues discussed during the meeting. Sunetra Pawar's NCP is part of the Mahayuti government in Maharashtra along with the BJP and Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena.

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Bawankule said he had nothing further to comment on the reason for the meeting but reiterated that the alliance partners should avoid conduct that could create divisions. His remarks have brought attention to the political significance of Kishor's interaction with Sunetra Pawar, particularly as the NCP remains an important constituent of the Maharashtra ruling coalition.

The meeting is the second reported interaction between Kishor and Sunetra Pawar since the death of her husband, Ajit Pawar, who was Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister when he died in a plane crash in Baramati in January this year. Following their first meeting several months ago, her son and NCP leader Parth Pawar had said that Kishor was known to the family.

Kishor has previously worked on election campaigns for several prominent political leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal. While no details have emerged about the purpose of his latest meeting with Sunetra Pawar, the interaction has drawn political attention because of the NCP's position within the Mahayuti alliance and the BJP's subsequent call for maintaining coordination among its partners.

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