E-Paper
‘Won’t be possible’: Shinde, Fadnavis decline Pawar’s lunch invite at Baramati residence
Chief minister Eknath Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis on Friday declined Nationalist Congress Party (SCP) chief Sharad Pawar’s lunch invite at the latter’s Baramati residence
Pune: Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis on Friday declined Nationalist Congress Party (SCP) chief Sharad Pawar’s lunch invite at the latter’s Baramati residence on Saturday.
The two leaders cited busy schedule as reason to decline the invite, which had raised eyebrows among political circles as Pawar had invited Shinde, Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar for lunch at his residence, even as he himself was left out of the guests’ list of a state government programme in the city the same day.
Pawar’s invite was seen as a political move ahead of the Lok Sabha polls with his daughter Supriya Sule likely to face a tough fight from Ajit’s wife Sunetra in Baramati.
The government subsequently issued a revised invitation card on Friday and included Pawar senior’s name in it.
Shinde, in his response to Pawar’s invitation, wrote a letter to the octogenarian saying, “Received your letter dated February 28, 2024. I thank you for inviting me for lunch at your residence. But due to pre-scheduled events, I apologise for not being able to come this time even if I wanted to.”
Shinde further wrote that he will definitely get an opportunity to have a meal at Pawar’s residence in future.
In a separate letter, Fadnavis cited multiple events on Saturday saying, after the job fair programme, there is a foundation stone laying ceremony of the memorial of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj at Vadhu Budruk while another foundation stone laying ceremony of the memorial of revolutionary Lahuji Vastad Salve has also been organised.
“The whole day is going to be very busy as two important programmes are being organised one after the other. Therefore, I will not be able to accept your urgent invitation this time. Thank you once again,” Fadnavis added.
The 83-year-old leader had invited the chief minister and his two deputies for lunch on March 2.
“After taking the oath as CM of the state, Eknath Shinde 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 meal at my residence after the event, along with his other cabinet colleagues,” he had written in the letter.
