Sharad Pawar says no party issues discussed at meet with nephew Ajit Pawar

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Nationalist Congress Party (SP) president Sharad Pawar on Friday sought to downplay his closed-door meeting with estranged nephew and Maharashtra deputy CM Ajit Pawar in Pune, and asserted no issue related to their respective parties was discussed.

Speaking to reporters in Kolhapur city, the former Union agriculture minister insisted discussion at the meeting solely centred around a sugar industry project.

Asked about the possibility of rival NCP factions, headed by him and Ajit Pawar, coming together and if this issue was touched up in the meeting, the veteran politician asserted no party-related matter was discussed.

"In the meeting, Ajit Pawar, myself and people associated with the (sugar industry) project were present," he said.

The two politicians were in Pune to attend the annual general body meeting of the Vasantdada Sugar Institute (VSI), which is headed by the senior Pawar.

Deputy CM Ajit Pawar is a member of the Pune-based VSI, a prominent research institute of the sugar industry, and attended its annual general body meeting for the first time since the July 2023 split in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

During the AGM, Ajit Pawar sat at an arm's length from his uncle, who heads the opposition  NCP (SP). While the two were supposed to sit next to each other as per the initial arrangement, the deputy CM, who leads the ruling NCP, moved his nameplate one chair away, allowing Maharashtra Cooperation Minister Babasaheb Patil to sit between them.

Asked about the change in the seating arrangement, Sharad Pawar clarified Babasaheb Patil wanted to speak about certain things during the event and that is why he (state minister) sat next to him (senior Pawar).

A similar explanation was given by the junior Pawar.

"Babasaheb wanted to speak to Pawar saheb. I can speak to him (Sharad Pawar) anytime. Even if I sat one chair away, my voice is loud enough for someone further away to hear," the deputy CM explained on Thursday when asked about the seat rearrangement.

At the VSI event, Ajit Pawar and NCP (SP) state unit president Jayant Patil, both political rivals, were also seen discussing something.

The NCP suffered a split in July 2023 when Ajit Pawar broke away from his uncle and joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government headed by then-Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.