The 50-min Nov 20 PM-Pawar meeting that proved crucial

With the dramatic development in Maharashtra where Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was sworn-in for a second term on Saturday, despite a late night assurance and okay by NCP chief Sharad Pawar on the Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray's name as the next Chief Minister, everyone wants to know how it came about.

One theory being floated is that Sharad Pawar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 50-minute conversation in Parliament House on November 20 laid the foundation stone for the development on Saturday when Ajit Pawar, the NCP chief's nephew bagged the Deputy Chief Minister's seat.

Sharad Pawar gave a reference on the issue of farmers it was told at the Wednesday's meeting, however, according to sources, the 50-minute conversation was not limited to just one topic -- farming and farmers' distress, rather there was also talk on Maharashtra politics and all possibilities.

Modi's relationship with Pawar before the ED raid has been good and the veteran leader has also got Padma Vibhushan under the Modi government in 2017.IANS