Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his Deputy, Devendra Fadnavis, have declined an invitation to dine with Sharad Pawar amid the ongoing Maharashtra political crisis. The Opposition leader had invited CM Eknath Shinde and the two Deputy CMs — including his nephew Ajit Pawar – to share a meal at his residence in Baramati during their visit on March 2. The surprise invitation comes mere days after the senior Pawar lost control of his party following a split in the NCP.
Eknath Shinde said, “We have a hectic schedule tomorrow. We have to go to Ahmedabad, next time we will come for sure, we have conveyed our message to Sharad Pawar.”
"I received the letter written by you, as well as an invitation for dinner from you. As you are aware that after the efforts of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, the Namo Maharojgar Melava is being organized in Baramati. This big programme will be held in Baramati, after that, the bhoomi pujan of the memorial of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj will be held in Badhu Budruk and Tuljapur and immediately after that, the bhoomi pujan of the memorial of revolutionary Lahuji Vastad Salve is scheduled. The whole day is going to be very busy as two important programmes are being organized one after the other. Therefore, I will not be able to accept your urgent invitation this time. Thank you once again," the Maharashtra Deputy CM said.
The chief minister and his deputies will be attending the 'Namo Maharojgar Melava' job fair in Pune district on Saturday.
“The CM is coming to Baramati for the first time after taking the oath as CM…and I am very glad about his visit to attend the Namo Maharojgar Event in Baramati. Therefore, I would like to extend the invitation for the meal at my residence after the event, along with his other Cabinet colleagues,” Sharad Pawar had written in his missive to Shinde.
The Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction was recently declared as the ‘real’ party by the Election Commission. The Deputy CM had parted ways with his uncle to join the Shiv Sena-BJP government in July last year. There are also claims that his wife — Sunetra Pawar — may contest the Lok Sabha elections from Baramati. The seat is currently held by his cousin and Sharad Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule.
(With inputs from agencies)
Catch all the Business News, Politics news,Breaking NewsEvents andLatest News Updates on Live Mint. Download TheMint News App to get Daily Market Updates.