The strained relation between Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and senior NCP leader and former irrigation minister Sunil Tatkare came to the fore yet again when the former skipped the launch of a book on Tatkare. The chief minister was the chief guest at the event.
The book, titled Samagra, was released by former Union minister for agriculture and NCP president Sharad Pawar. Instead of Fadnavis, the event was attended by three BJP ministers—Chandrakant Patil, Girish Bapat and Jaikumar Rawal.
Fadnavis had campaigned hard against Tatkare and Ajit Pawar in his pre-election rallies. When he was in the opposition, Fadnavis had even demanded Tatkare's arrest.
Fadnavis was to release the book along with Sharad Pawar. However, RTI activist and whistleblower Anjali Damania had launched an attack on Fadnavis on social media. She reminded Fadnavis, through her tweets, that he had campaigned against Tatkare who led the irrigation department when an alleged irrigation scam took place in Maharashtra.
Throughout the day, there was uncertainty on Fadnavis's arrival. Revenue minister Chandrakant Patil is said to have told journalists that Fadnavis would attend the event as it was a book release event to mark completion of Tatkare's three decades in politics. He further said that the event was a cultural one and politics should not be brought into it.
Pawar, too, in his address, pointed out how Maharashtra's culture had never allowed political differences to turn into personal differences. He also said that the presence of leaders from almost all parties on the dais was proof of the same. “In parliament I have seen that the AIADMK and DMK MPs do not talk to each other. Similar situation exists in other states, too. But Maharashtra has never seen it happen," said Pawar. The significance of these remarks was not lost on the audience as Fadnavis's office had accepted the invitation and his name had been printed on the invitation card.
Fadnavis was camping in Nanded the entire day where the BJP and the Congress are engaged in a bitter contest for the control of Nanded Municipal Corporation. The municipal body is currently controlled by state Congress president Ashok Chavan who belongs to Nanded.
Tatkare, in his thanksgiving speech, did not say a word about the chief minister. He merely said that he did not want to say anything about those who did not come for the function.
Another leader who skipped the event was Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut. Apparently, Raut did not come as former Maharashtra chief minister and former Congress leader-turned-BJP ally Narayan Rane had confirmed his presence at the event. Rane was expelled from the Sena in 2005 for revolting against party patriarch Bal Thackeray and his son Uddhav.
