Sharad Pawar, the president of the Nationalist Congress Party, has extended an invitation to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputies, Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, to join him for a meal at his residence in Baramati during their upcoming visit to his hometown on March 2. Despite being political rivals, Mr. Shinde and his deputies will also be attending a job fair, titled ‘Namo Maharojgar Melava’, at Vidya Pratishthan College in Baramati, Pune district.

NCP, SCP Chief Sharad Pawar extended an invitation to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and both Deputy CMs Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis for lunch at his Baramati residence on 2nd March.

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The letter reads. “After taking oath as CM of the state, the CM is coming to Baramati for… pic.twitter.com/oIvLpyrznu

— ANI (@ANI) February 29, 2024

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In light of the recent split within the NCP, a party originally founded by Sharad Pawar in 1999, and the strained relationship with his nephew Ajit Pawar, who departed to join the Shiv Sena-BJP government last July, Sharad Pawar’s unexpected invitation to Mr. Shinde and the two deputy CMs carries significant significance.

There are discussions suggesting that Ajit Pawar, who retained the NCP name and symbol after the split, is contemplating fielding a candidate for the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency. This constituency is presently represented by his cousin, Supriya Sule, who is the daughter of Sharad Pawar.

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In the invitation letter dated February 28, addressed to Shinde, Fadnavis, and Ajit Pawar, the former Union minister expressed his desire, along with Sule, to attend the official event in Baramati as parliamentarians.

In the letter addressed to Mr. Shinde, the Rajya Sabha MP mentioned that in his capacity as the president of Vidya Pratishthan, he would be delighted to welcome the Chief Minister to the premises of the educational institute.

He urged Mr. Shinde, along with Mr. Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, to kindly accept his invitation for a meal at his residence in Baramati, ‘Govindbaug’, following the event at Vidya Pratishthan.

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