The city of Pune is set to witness the presentation of the Lokmanya Tilak National Award to Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth Deemed University Campus ground, on Tuesday, August 1. This ceremony is expected to have a notable presence, with NCP supremo Sharad Pawar sharing the stage with PM Modi. However, the event might also face opposition, as members of both NCP and Congress are planning to protest the Manipur violence by waving black flags.
The function will be attended by prominent political figures, including Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CMs Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar. Sharad Pawar will be the chief guest and will be responsible for presenting the award to PM Modi. This is not the first time Modi and Pawar have appeared together; they were previously seen together at an event in Baramati on February 14, 2015, during the inauguration of the Late Appasaheb Pawar Hall by the PM.
Speculation had arisen about Sharad Pawar's attendance due to the recent split within the NCP engineered by Ajit Pawar and blamed on BJP. Reportedly, Ajit Pawar and other ministers met with Pawar Senior at the Yashwantrao Chavan Centre and urged him to join the NDA, but he refused. However, Pawar's office confirmed his presence at the award ceremony, putting all uncertainty to rest.
Apart from the award ceremony, PM Modi has a busy schedule in Pune. Before the event, he will visit Shrimant Dagadusheth Halwai Ganapati for darshan at 11 am. The Lokmanya Tilak Award ceremony will begin at 11:30 am, where only invitees will be allowed. Following that, at 12:45 pm, he will inaugurate two extended lines of the Metro and 4,000 flats in Pune and Pimpri under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. Additionally, he will perform the Bhoomi Pujan of 6,000 houses of PMRDA in an open event, as per the reports.