Sharad Pawar chairs NCP (SP) meet on political situation; Rohit skips citing urgent water issue

NCP president Sharad Pawar chaired a key party meeting to discuss the country and Maharashtra's political situation and formulate strategies to revive the party.

NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar on Wednesday chaired a key party meet to discuss the political situation in the country and Maharashtra and formulate strategies to revive the party.

Party MLA and Pawar's grandnephew Rohit Pawar, who did not attend the meeting, dismissed as ''baseless'' reports claiming that he was upset, and said he had to rush to Pune to address an urgent water issue affecting farmers in his Karjat-Jamkhed constituency and Baramati.

The meeting was taking place against the backdrop of reports of internal strife in the ruling NCP faction led by Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, wherein party veterans Sunil Tatkare and Praful Patel have apparently been sidelined. Tatkare met Sharad Pawar in Mumbai last week.

On Wednesday, NCP (SP) MPs, MLAs and candidates in the 2024 assembly polls attended the party meeting held at YB Chavan Centre in south Mumbai.

Alongside deliberations on the NCP (SP)'s performance in the 2024 assembly polls and the local body elections held earlier this year, discussions were also focusing on the party's stance on key political, economic and social issues, as well as preparations for its foundation day programme on June 10.

Rohit Pawar, in a post on X, dismissed speculation over his absence from the meeting.

''The reports being aired on some sections of the media about me being upset are baseless. We are workers functioning under the guidance of respected Pawar Saheb,'' he said.

He said the issue of water from the Janai-Shirsai project for farmers in the Kukadi region of his constituency (in Ahilyanagar district) and in Baramati (Pune district) had become critical, forcing him to make an unplanned visit to the Irrigation Bhavan in Pune.

''Had there not been pressure on the administration and had they honoured their promise to release the water, I could have attended the pre-scheduled meeting in Mumbai today instead of coming to the Irrigation Bhavan in Pune,'' he said.

Farmers and common people across Maharashtra were facing severe difficulties, and there was a need to take a firm stand and launch an agitation in their support, the legislator asserted.

''One thing is certain - farmers and common people in the state are in great distress, and there is an unequivocal need to take a strong position and hit the streets to fight for them,'' he said.

Rohit Pawar expressed confidence that the party and its senior leaders would take an appropriate decision on the issue.