Sharad Pawar Shares Stage with PM Modi, Stirs Controversy Within Opposition
In a surprising move, veteran leader Sharad Pawar of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) shared the stage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at an event in Pune, Maharashtra, causing ripples of discontent among his allies and several other opposition parties who had advised him to skip the function.
The optics of Sharad Pawar standing alongside PM Modi came as a reality check for the opposition bloc, especially after 26 parties recently announced the INDIA alliance to challenge the ruling BJP in the upcoming national elections. The alliance is scheduled for its thirt meeting in Mumbai, following its previous gatherings in Patna, Bihar, and Bengaluru, Karnataka.
The event in question was organized by the Lokmanya Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust, where PM Modi was presented with the Lokmanya Tilak National Award. Pawar, the chief guest at the event, was seen patting PM Modi as he greeted him at the beginning of the function.
The presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, his Deputy Devendra Fadnavis, and Sharad Pawar's nephew Ajit Pawar, who recently parted ways with NCP to join hands with the BJP, further added to the controversy.
Addressing the audience, Pawar praised Lokmanya Tilak's contribution to the freedom struggle, emphasizing the need for uniting the masses to achieve independence from British rule. He recalled Tilak's journalistic endeavors through newspapers like Kesari and Maratha, through which he actively fought against British imperialism.
The appearance of PM Modi and Sharad Pawar on the same stage marks their first joint appearance in seven years. Despite pressure from his allies, including the Congress and Shiv Sena, who urged him to skip the event, Pawar stated that he couldn't decline the invitation, having invited PM Modi himself months ago.
