MUMBAI: Amid speculation over a possible merger of the two NCP factions and Sharad Pawar’s potential entry into the BJP-led NDA, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s telephone call to the veteran leader Mr Pawar on Wednesday to enquire about his health has sparked fresh political buzz.
During the telephone conversation, PM Modi reportedly assured Pawar that his daughter and Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule is capable of shouldering the country’s responsibilities alongside him. Sharad Pawar, in response, reportedly said that he was not worried as the country was in Modi’s hands. The conversation between the Prime Minister and Sharad Pawar has further fuelled speculation about a possible political realignment at both the national and state levels.
The 86-year-old Sharad Pawar was admitted to a private hospital in Pune after experiencing chest pain and uneasiness. He was subsequently discharged. During this period, PM Modi, who shares cordial relations with Pawar, called him to enquire about his health and advised him to take proper rest, reportedly assuring him that his political heir was capable of handling responsibilities.
Speaking about the telephone conversation, Vitthal Maniyar, a close and trusted associate of Sharad Pawar, told the media that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called the veteran leader on Wednesday morning and advised him to prioritise his health and take adequate rest.
Recounting the conversation, Maniyar said the Prime Minister told Pawar that his daughter and Baramati MP Supriya Sule was ready to shoulder responsibilities and that she and others would take care of the country while he rested and recuperated.
“Supriya and I will take care of the country. You should take care of your health and remain strong to bless us,” Maniyar quoted Modi as telling Pawar. He added that Pawar thanked the Prime Minister for his concern and said he had no worries as the country was in capable hands.
Earlier, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had reportedly called NCP leaders to Delhi and conveyed that the merger of the two NCP factions was inevitable. He is understood to have asked them to iron out their differences and pave the way for a possible merger in the larger interest of the NDA. It was also reportedly discussed that if NCP national president Sunetra Pawar and her son, Parth Pawar, created hurdles in the merger process, they could be excluded from the proposed united NCP.
The relationship between PM Modi and Sharad Pawar, however, has often attracted attention beyond conventional party politics. The two leaders have shared a relationship marked by mutual appreciation, political disagreements and occasional public bonhomie.
An NCP (SP) leader said that too much should not be read into the bonhomie between the two senior leaders, as they mutually respect each other and honour their differences of opinion. He said Mr pawar
Earlier, during his visit to Baramati, PM Modi had described Sharad Pawar as his political guru and mentor, recalling how the veteran leader had guided him during his early political career. Pawar, too, has acknowledged Modi’s administrative abilities while maintaining his ideological and political differences with the BJP.
