Ajit Pawar avoids meeting uncle at Modi’s event in Pune

This was the first time that both senior Pawar and his nephew were seen at a public event after the NCP split

All eyes in political circles were on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar who shared the dais during the Lokmanya Tilak National Award function in Pune on Tuesday. Among others present during the function included deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, who deserted his uncle and joined the BJP-Shiv Sena government on July 2.

PM Modi in Pune on Tuesday (HT PHOTO)

This was the first time that both senior Pawar and his nephew were seen at a public event after the NCP split. Ajit, however, avoided coming face to face with his uncle who arrived at the venue 10 minutes before Modi, and left the dais immediately after the award function got over.

On July 17, Ajit and leaders from his faction met senior leader Sharad Pawar at the YB Chavan Centre in Mumbai although it was a closed-door meeting.

Chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis also attended the event in Pune besides Ajit.

While the opposition parties, including the Congress and the Shiv Sena, had expressed displeasure over the NCP leader Sharad Pawar attending the event as a chief guest, party MP Supriya Sule had said that despite political differences, dialogue is important in democracy.