Devendra Fadnavis says won't attend lunch to be hosted by Sharad Pawar
Sharad Pawar had had invited chief minister Eknath Shinde and his two deputies including nephew Ajit Pawar for lunch in Baramati on March 2.
Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday declined Nationalist Congress Party (SCP) chief Sharad Pawar's lunch invite at the latter's Baramati residence on Saturday.
“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 programme 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,” Fadnavis said in a letter to Pawar.
“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,” he added.
The 83-year-old leader had invited chief minister Eknath Shinde and his two deputies including nephew Ajit Pawar for lunch on March 2. “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,” he had written in his letter.
On Wednesday, Pawar had held a day-long meeting with party workers at Baramati in order to discuss preparedness for the Lok Sabha elections were the veteran leader's daughter Supriya Sule is set to face challenger from Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra.
Last month, Sharad Pawar had lost the name and symbol of the party he founded to his nephew Ajit Pawar, who led a vertical split in the party last year to join the NDA.
