Pune: Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has declined an invitation to dine with Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) president Sharad Pawar, who had extended an invitation a day before to share a meal at his residence in Baramati during his visit to his hometown on March 2. Fadnavis, in a letter to Sharad Pawar on Friday, said that he cannot accept the invitation as he will be engaged in important programs on March 2.
"I received the letter written by you, as well as an invitation for dinner from you. As you are aware that after the efforts of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, the Namo Maharojgar Melava is being organized in Baramati. This big program will be held in Baramati, after that, the bhoomi pujan of the memorial of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj will be held in Badhu Budruk and Tuljapur and immediately after that, the bhoomi pujan of the memorial of revolutionary Lahuji Vastad Salve is scheduled. The whole day is going to be very busy as two important programmes are being organized one after the other. Therefore, I will not be able to accept your urgent invitation this time. Thank you once again," the Maharashtra Deputy CM said.
Sharad Pawar, the opposition leader, had invited Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the two Deputy CMs, including his nephew Ajit Pawar, to share a meal at his residence in Baramati during their visit on March 2.
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." 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 of Pune district.
The surprise invitation to Shinde and the two deputy CMs by Senior Pawar comes in the backdrop of a split in the NCP, a party founded by him in 1999, and strained ties with his nephew Ajit Pawar, who parted ways with him and joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government in July last year.
