Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar met Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde at his official residence in Mumbai on Thursday.
Tweeting about the meeting, Sharad Pawar said he went to invite the chief minister to the 75th anniversary celebration of Maratha Mandir, an iconic cinema hall in south Mumbai. The BJP, an ally of the Shiv Sena faction led by Eknath Shinde in the state, said the meeting was not political but a personal one.
The leaders also discussed the problems facing Marathi films, theatres, artistes and artisans in Maharashtra.
“On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Maratha Mandir, Mumbai, the organization will organise a commemorative function. Today I met Hon’ble Chief Minister of Maharashtra Eknath Shinde at his official residence Varsha to invite him for this event,” Pawar said in a tweet.
“Also discussed with Hon’ble CM about organising a meeting to know the problems of Marathi film, theater and art sector artists and artisans in Maharashtra and inviting organizations from film, theater, folk art, channels and other entertainment media to the said meeting,” a follow-up tweet said.
“National President and Member of Parliament of the Nationalist Congress Party @PawarSpeaks Saheb today visited Varsha or government residence and received good wishes,” Eknath Shinde said in a tweet, sharing two videos of his meeting with Sharad Pawar at his residence.
Shortly after the meeting, BJP leader and state minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said the meeting was personal and there was no other meaning to it. “Sharad Pawar’s meeting with CM Shinde is not political but personal. CM is of everybody and of Pawar as well. There is no need to read further into the meeting,” he said.
When told that the meeting happened when Uddhav Thackeray was abroad, Mungantiwar said, “If this is true, then we welcome it. But according to me, this was not a political meeting and when the political meeting takes place, it will not be known to you.”