Prime Minister Narendra Modi, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were seen together at the wedding reception of Supriya Sule’s daughter, Revati Sule, in Mumbai on Monday.
Several leaders from both the ruling and Opposition parties attended the reception. The gathering came hours after Modi met all eight Lok Sabha MPs of the NCP (SP), led by Supriya Sule, to discuss issues concerning Maharashtra.
Photos of Modi and Sharad Pawar sitting together at the event have also surfaced on social media. Pawar and Sule had earlier met the Prime Minister in Delhi on July 22.
After meeting PM Modi, NCP (SP) MPs shared pictures of this meeting on social media
NCP (SP) MPs submit memorandum to PM
On Monday, Sule and the party’s eight Lok Sabha MPs submitted a memorandum to Modi outlining issues related to Maharashtra.
NCP (SP) MP Amol Kolhe said the delegation raised concerns over the Pune-Nashik semi-high-speed rail project and the demand for an agricultural loan waiver.
According to sources, the MPs also discussed onion prices and pollution in the Chandrabhaga river during the meeting.
During the reception, Union Home Minister Amit Shah was also seen sitting with Sharad Pawar
Meeting comes amid delimitation speculation
The meeting took place amid speculation over the NCP (SP)’s possible position on the Centre’s proposed delimitation exercise. Sources had earlier indicated that the party could support the proposal subject to certain conditions.
However, Supriya Sule has said the party will decide its position only after the final legislation is presented.
Earlier speculation over NCP (SP) joining NDA
In June, speculation emerged that Sharad Pawar’s NCP (SP) could join the NDA or merge with the Congress. The party’s Maharashtra unit president Shashikant Shinde, however, dismissed the reports as rumours.
Speculation intensified after Pawar held a meeting on the Maharashtra-Karnataka border dispute at Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai on July 8. He later met his party’s MLAs in the room of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
NCP was formed after split from Congress
The Nationalist Congress Party was founded on June 10, 1999, by Sharad Pawar, P.A. Sangma and Tariq Anwar after they questioned Sonia Gandhi’s foreign origin as Congress president.
The three leaders were expelled from the Congress and subsequently founded the NCP.
