Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar share stage again; talk of merging parties abuzz
The meeting, held at the Sugar Commissionerate at Shivajinagar in Pune, lasted over an hour and a half and was attended by officials from the Vasantdada Sugar Institute
Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar and his estranged nephew, Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, shared the stage for the third time in a fortnight on Monday, this time to discuss the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in agriculture and the sugar industry.
The meeting, held at the Sugar Commissionerate at Shivajinagar in Pune, lasted over an hour and a half and was attended by officials from the Vasantdada Sugar Institute.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Ajit Pawar said topics such as leveraging AI to boost farm productivity, improve soil fertility, and reduce the use of chemical fertilisers were discussed at the meeting.
“We discussed how AI can help increase agricultural output, improve soil health, and reduce dependence on chemical fertilisers. Firms like Microsoft are supporting initiatives in this space. The agriculture department also shared some of its ongoing efforts, and best practices to improve sugar production were discussed,” he said.
When asked about his third meeting with senior Pawar in recent weeks, beginning with the engagement of his son Jay, the deputy chief minister downplayed the political significance of these meetings, saying families come together on occasions like engagements, and there was no need to interpret them from any other perspective.
Sharad Pawar and his nephew Ajit, who heads the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), are part of rival alliances in Maharashtra since the latter rebelled against his uncle in 2023 and joined the then BJP-Shiv Sena government.
Ajit Pawar also commented on their recent joint appearance at Rayat Shikshan Sanstha in Satara, where his uncle is the president and he is a trustee.
“When I attend Rayat Shikshan Sanstha meetings, I do so as a trustee, not as deputy CM. That meeting focused on the use of AI in education to benefit students. Today’s meeting was about AI in agriculture. When working in government, we must always focus on increasing farmers’ income and reducing their input costs,” he said.
The deputy chief minister said certain subjects transcend politics.
“Even the Prime Minister and chief ministers call all-party meetings on key issues. Now that elections are over and the government is formed, it is important to come together and share best practices while working for the people,” he added
Reacting to the meeting and speculations of the merger of both NCPs, Baramati MP Supriya Sule said that while she hasn’t heard or come across any proposal of a possible merger between the two parties, she will accept it if both leaders decide accordingly.
“I haven’t heard of any such proposal of merger. But whatever both leaders decide, I am bound to accept it,” Sule said.
On being asked about Ajit Pawar turning soft in his speeches against Sharad Pawar, Sule said, “If Dada is turning soft in his speeches while reacting to Sharad Pawar, it’s a good thing. As a family, we were always together. We may have political differences, but that hasn’t affected family relations.”
