Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar held a meeting with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, sparking speculation in state political circles. NCP Lok Sabha member Supriya Sule, Sharad Pawar's daughter, clarified that the meeting was not a political one.
This marks the second such interaction between the uncle and nephew since the Ajit Pawar-led group joined the Eknath Shinde-led government in Maharashtra back in July. The hour-long meeting on Friday occurred at the residence of Prataprao Pawar, the brother of 83-year-old Sharad Pawar.
Sule said Pratap Pawar's wife is unwell and the Pawar family members gathered at his house on Friday for that purpose. Due to her illness, it won’t be possible for the entire family to attend the Pawar family’s Diwali get-together, she added. Though we have different political ideologies, we maintain our personal relations. There is a difference between professional and personal life. Every year, members from the Pawar family gather at Baramati for Diwali celebrations. However, this year my aunty is unwell, so we planned to visit her residence, Sule said.
State cooperation minister Dilip Walse Patil, who belongs to the Ajit Pawar group, also met Sharad Pawar in Pune earlier on Friday. He said there was nothing political in his meeting with the NCP founder. It was a scheduled meeting to discuss issues of the Rayat Shikshan Sanstha, an educational institute headed by Sharad Pawar sahib, the minister told reporters later.