Pune: A major political event unfolded at the Vasantdada Sugar Institute (VSI) in Pune, where Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Ajit Pawar and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) supremo Sharad Pawar shared a platform for the first time since the split in the Nationalist Congress Party.
The meeting was attended by key leaders, including NCP leader Dilip Walse Patil, and NCP (SP) leader Jayant Patil. Adding to the political intrigue, Ajit Pawar and Jayant Patil also held a closed-door meeting, sparking speculation about internal discussions within the party.
Sanjay Raut’s Sharp Reaction
Reacting to the meeting, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) MP Sanjay Raut took a sarcastic dig at the NCP leaders, stating: "They have institutions like Vidya Pratishthan, Rayat Shikshan Sanstha, and Vasantdada Institute for such meetings. We don’t have such institutions. We do not believe in the hypocrisy that political dialogue must always be maintained."
Sanjay Raut further criticized, saying: "We do not hold such meetings, and even if we do, we avoid them. We are outsiders in their political setup. We do not attend such gatherings because we do not have institutions like theirs. Those who broke our party—we have no reason to approach them. We will continue to fight and resist. We will never align with those who betrayed Maharashtra."
Sharad Pawar’s Subtle Yet Telling Gesture
During the event, Sharad Pawar arrived at VSI’s office, walking behind Dilip Walse Patil. As they proceeded, Walse Patil opened the door to Ajit Pawar’s cabin, where the Deputy CM was seated. Sharad Pawar glanced inside for a few seconds. However, instead of entering, he continued walking forward, choosing not to engage.
Walse Patil informed Ajit Pawar about Sharad Pawar’s arrival. This brief but significant moment has fueled further speculation about the strained relations between the two factions and their future political strategies.