Mumbai, April 29 Amid talks of a patch-up, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar-led NCP will extend an official invitation to veteran politician Sharad Pawar to attend the party function organised marking Maharashtra Day on May 1.
“Sharad Pawar’s contributions to the state and country can never be neglected. He is a national leader and four-time Chief Minister of Maharashtra. How can his contribution be neglected? We will extend an invitation to him,” said NCP state chief and Lok Sabha MP, Sunil Tatkare.
The NCP split two years ago, with Ajit Pawar taking control of the party name and poll symbol, while Sharad Pawar heads the Nationalist Congress Party (SP).
Tatkare said that NCP will felicitate all the previous Chief Ministers of Maharashtra on May 3.
“We talked to Prithviraj Chavan of Congress. We have been told that Uddhav Thackeray is abroad, but we will also extend an invitation to him. Our Executive President, Praful Patel, will also personally meet Sharad Pawar to extend the invitation,” said Tatkare
The NCP is organising ‘Gauravshali Maharashtra’ festival between May 1 to 4 to mark the 65 years of Maharashtra formation.
Among the five pavilions to be built to mark this event, one will be dedicated to all Chief Ministers of the state, recognising their contribution over the last 65 years.
Tatkare told reporters that after the formation of Maharashtra on May 1, 1960, various events and cultural programs took place for five consecutive days.
“We will be repeating it by holding celebrations from May 1 to 4,” he said.
However, sources within the NCP-SP said that Sharad Pawar has received no such invitation from the NCP.
“This is not a government program but a party function. It is unlikely, after what has happened between Pawars, that he will share the stage with NCP,” said a senior leader from the NCP-SP.
Both Ajit and Sharad Pawar have seen together in the last two years only in various official meetings and family functions.
The duo have categorically kept political stands aside and refrained from making any comments, post assembly polls.
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