Two days after his meeting with Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) chief Sharad Pawar sparked widespread political speculation, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde sought to downplay the development, saying political rivalry should not be mistaken for personal enmity.Addressing the Maharashtra Assembly on Friday, Shinde said he warmly welcomed the veteran leader when he learnt of his arrival. “As soon as I learnt that Sharad Pawar had arrived, I rushed to welcome him with a shawl and a coconut. We are political opponents, not enemies,” he said.Pawar had visited the Assembly on Wednesday to attend a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on the long-pending Maharashtra-Karnataka border dispute. After the meeting, he visited Shinde’s office in the Assembly complex, where the two leaders held a brief discussion. Pawar also met legislators of his party at the Deputy Chief Minister’s office, fuelling speculation over possible political developments.The meeting triggered criticism from Shiv Sena (UBT), a key ally of the NCP (SP) in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). Senior Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut questioned the interaction, calling Shinde a “traitor” and suggesting that such meetings could damage Pawar’s credibility among alliance partners.However, Raut later softened his stance, describing Pawar as the tallest leader of the MVA and clarifying that he had merely voiced the concerns of party workers. He maintained that Shinde should remain politically isolated and should not be legitimised through public meetings.NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule also dismissed the controversy, describing it as a “storm in a tea cup.” She said the interaction was nothing more than a brief courtesy meeting and rejected speculation that any section of her party was considering joining the NDA. Sule also said she had spoken to Raut and that the misunderstanding between the allies had been resolved.Meanwhile, Congress leader and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan claimed the meeting appeared to be pre-planned and hinted that attempts could be underway to poach MPs from the NCP (SP), adding another layer to the political speculation surrounding the high-profile interaction.
‘Opponents, Not Enemies’: Shinde Downplays Meeting With Sharad Pawar
