Days after NCP split, Sharad Pawar to share dais with PM Modi; Opposition miffed

New Delhi: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar is set to share stage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while the latter gets felicitated with Lokmanya Tilak National Award in Pune on Tuesday.

Sharad Pawar has been invited as chief guest for the event and his presence has been confirmed by Rohit Tilak, president of the Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust, which will confer the honour on Prime Minister.

Notably, this comes just weeks after vertical split in the NCP and the rebel camp forming a separate political outfit under Ajit Pawar.

Though, Maratha strongman has been strongly critical of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s ‘expansionist’ designs and latter’s penchant for hardcore Hindutva politics, his coming together with PM Modi has left the Opposition ranks flummoxed. His presence at Modi event has irked the Opposition leaders to such an extent that a delegation was about to meet him on Monday to persuade him to drop off the program.

PM Modi is set to get honoured with Lokmanya Tilak Award at SP college ground function on August 1.

Pawar-Modi proposed meet comes at a time, when Opposition has moved no-confidence motion against the Centre and the BJP being directly accused of inciting rebellion in Maharashtra, first in Shiv Sena & then in the NCP. The optics are clearly misplaced, feels the I.N.D.I.A faction.

Though, Sharad Pawar has maintained his unequivocal support & loyalty to the new political block, this new ‘bonhomie’ does little to placate his alliance partners. His meeting with Ajit-Pawar led rebel factions behind closed doors hasn’t gone down well its alliance partners. Shiv Sena (UBT) termed this conduct of Mr Pawar as inappropriate.

The rumour mills are in an overdrive with speculations of new political tie-ups, thus leading many factions of the I.N.D.I.A. block baffled & rattled.