File photo: NCP chief Sharad Pawar
Sharad Pawar is giving his ally, the Congress, an increased heart rate with his party indicating a measure of discontent with their collaboration.
Mr Pawar's party, the Nationalist Congress Party or NCP, governs Maharashtra with the Congress, and is a member of the PM's coalition government at the centre.
This morning, Mr Pawar refuted reports that he met last week with Narendra Modi, the opposition's prime ministerial candidate. But his deputy, Praful Patel, made it clear that the NCP's partnership with the Congress should not be taken for granted.
"The Congress has delayed seat-alliance talks with NCP in Maharashtra for far too long. We're awaiting clarity from them." said Mr Patel.
Congress sources believe the NCP is posturing ahead of bi-party negotiations for how they will divide Maharashtra's 48 parliamentary seats between them.
But just yesterday, Mr Patel made a remark that suggested support for Mr Modi. Earlier this week, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi alleged that Mr Modi "abetted" the 2002 riots in Gujarat in which hundreds of Muslims were killed. Mr Modi has been cleared of complicity in the violence by a Supreme Court investigation.
"There's no point to comment because it is for each one to give his or her version but the fact remains that perception today is important and if the judicial system has given a certain finality to any controversy, I think we should let it rest there," Mr Patel, also a senior minister at the Centre, had said.