Eyebrows raised as Sharad Pawar invites CM Eknath Shinde, Deputy CMs Fanavis and Ajit Pawar for lunch in Baramati

Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar. File Pic.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) founder Sharad Pawar has invited Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, deputy CMs Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar for lunch at his residence in Baramati on March 2. Eyebrows are raised in political circles as what's cooking among the leaders.

Shinde along with his deputies Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, all political rivals of Sharad Pawar, will be attending a job fair, 'Namo Maharojgar Melava', in the premises of Vidya Pratishthan college in Baramati town in Pune district. Apart from being hometown, Baramati is the bastion of Pawar family.

Notably, political situation in Baramati is complicated since Ajit Pawar among with several MLAs joined the ruling BJP and Shiv Sena-Eknath Shinde faction government, leading to division of the NCP. The Election commission and Maharashtra assembly recently recognised Ajit Pawar faction as real NCP and Sharad Pawar faction of NCP was also allotted another symbol.

The invitation comes amid talks of Ajit Pawar fielding his wife Sunetra Pawar for Baramati Lok Sabha seat in the upcoming elections, the constituency lead by Sharad Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule currently.

In the invitation, which is part of the letter dated February 28, extended to CM Shinde and Deputy CMs Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, the veteran leader and former Union minister stated that as parliamentarians, he (Sharad Pawar) and Supriya Sule would like to attend the official event in Baramati.

The Rajya Sabha MP, in the letter addressed to Shinde, said as president of Vidya Pratishthan, he would be glad to welcome the chief minister of the state on the premises of the educational institute.

In his letter, Sharad Pawar wrote, "After taking the oath as CM of the state, the CM is coming to Baramati for the first time 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."

It was in July 2023, when Ajit Pawar, nephew of Sharad Pawar split the NCP down the middle as he joined the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance in Maharashtra along with several senior MLAs and took oath as the state's deputy chief minister for the fifth time.

However, the split has caused a stir in Baramati, the political bastion of Pawar family since decades.

The Supreme Court earlier this month ordered that the interim order by the Election Commission of India that allowed veteran leader Sharad Pawar to use 'Nationalist Congress Party--Sharad Chandra Pawar' would continue till further orders.

Sharad Pawar on Saturday launched his party's new symbol- 'man blowing turha'- from Chhatrapati Shivaji's Raigad Fort last week.