According to political observers, Patil has been lying low within the NCP (SP). (Express Photo/Sankhadeep Banerjee)Amid speculations of growing proximity with the ruling BJP, NCP (SP) state president Jayant Patil’s meeting with revenue minister and state BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule at the latter’s bungalow has created quite a flutter.As the news of the meeting became public, both NCP (SP) and BJP indicated that it was related to some development issues for Sangli district Sangli.Explaining his stand on the meeting, Patil said, “I had gone to meet revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule with an official appointment on Monday evening. I took up some important issues related to the works in my constituency Islampur in Sangli district. I submitted about a dozen letters regarding development issues and discussed the same with Bawankule.”Also Read | Amid call for leadership change in NCP(SP), Patil tells detractors to show their report card“Many workers of my party from Sangli also accompanied me during the meeting. Senior BJP minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil was also present,” said the NCP (SP) leader adding that talks of him switching over to the BJP were absolutely baseless.Speaking to media persons in Nagpur, Bawankule confirmed the meeting with Patil.“Jayant Patil came to my bungalow to discuss some issues related to Sangli district. It was a development agenda…I am not such a big leader to discuss and comment on Jayant Patil’s politics,” said the minister.The meeting between BJP and NCP (SP) leaders has raised many eyebrows. A senior BJP functionary said, “Who had ever imagined Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar would part ways with his own uncle, lead a separate faction of the NCP and become a part of the coalition government led by BJP in Maharashtra?”Talking about Jayant Patil’s meeting with Bawankule, the BJP functionary said, “If Jayant Patil were to come to BJP we would be more than happy to welcome him. Such moves were discussed in the past. But unless it actually happens, we cannot say anything with certainty.”Story continues below this adWhat is interesting to note is that last week, Patil invited Union Minister Nitin Gadkari as a chief guest for an event in his constituency Islampur. Gadkari shared the dias with Patil at the inauguration of a new building at Rajarambapu Institute of Technology at Islampur, where both leaders praised each other.Patil’s growing closeness to BJP leaders comes at a time when the NCP (SP) is grappling with intra-party crisis, post the debacle in the Maharashtra Assembly polls 2024, where it won only 10 seats. NCP (SP) had performed exceptionally well in Lok Sabha 2024 polls by winning eight seats.According to political observers, Patil has been lying low within the NCP (SP). He has not been very active for the last one month and confined himself to his own constituency work.Another reason cited by insiders is his differences with second rung leaders within NCP (SP) namely leader of state legislative assembly (MLA) from Mumbra Jitendra Awadh and Karjat-Jamkhed MLA Rohit Pawar.Story continues below this adRohit Pawar is the grandnephew of NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar. In the past, Rohit Pawar had supported the theory of leadership changes in the organisation with greater representation to the next generation within the party though he maintained the final decision would be taken by top leadership.© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd