NCP chief Sharad Pawar/Image from IANS
Pune: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be sharing the stage at a function in Pune next month, which has garnered significant attention due to recent political developments in Maharashtra.
This will be the first time the two leaders are going to be meeting each other after the shock split in the NCP led by Sharad Pawar's nephew Ajit Pawar. The event, scheduled for August 1, will see PM Modi receiving the prestigious Lokmanya Tilak Award, with Pawar in attendance as the chief guest.
Despite the political tensions arising from the NCP split, Sharad Pawar's decision to participate in the function alongside PM Modi has sparked speculation regarding his awareness of his nephew's plans.
Ajit Pawar's faction, which joined the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena alliance and saw him take oath as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra on July 2, still maintains that no split has occurred, asserting that Sharad Pawar remains the party's supreme leader. This claim has added to the confusion surrounding the situation. The Sharad Pawar faction contends that such statements are an attempt to lure NCP voters, which would otherwise be unattainable.
Ajit Pawar has alleged that the leaders of the Nationalist Congress Party were willing to align with the BJP on three separate occasions in the past four years. He claims that Sharad Pawar was involved in these discussions but withdrew at the last moment.
The party split has prompted Sharad Pawar to challenge PM Modi, questioning his allegations of corruption within the NCP.
Referring to PM Modi's recent remarks about the NCP, Sharad Pawar stated, "Two days ago the Prime Minister had spoken about NCP. He had said two things in his statement - that NCP is a finished party. He mentioned irrigation complaints and allegations of corruption." He also expressed his satisfaction that some of his colleagues had taken the oath, emphasising that this indicated the clearance of all charges against them.