In a development that sparked a fierce debate in the State political circles, NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday night skipped the joint Congress-NCP rally at BKC ground in north-central Mumbai, where he was to share a platform with Rahul Gandhi, on an ostensible ground that he was not in a position to make it to the metropolis owing to a helicopter snag.
In the normal course, Pawar was to share the platform at a joint Congress-NCP rally at the BKC ground with Sonia Gandhi in the evening. However, the Congress announced in the morning that its president Sonia Gandhi was not making to the rally owing to health reasons, that party vice president Rahul Gandhi would be addressing the rally in her place and that Pawar would also be present at the rally.
As the word spread about Pawar sharing a platform with Rahul, there was intense speculation in the State political circles. Many wondered if the NCP chief, who has in the past made no bones about his not being comfortable in working with Rahul owing to a “generation gap”, had a change of heart, given Sonia’s sudden illness and the need for the UPA constituents to project a picture of unity in the run-up to the lok Sabha polls.
However, Pawar — whose presence at the rally with Rahul would have been a welcome change for his party’s senior alliance partner Congress — was conspicuous by his absence at the BKC ground rally, where the NCP was represented by party’s senior leader Jayant Patil, Sachin Ahir and party’s candidate Sanjay Dina Patil.
In his explanation for Pawar’s absence at the joint two-party rally, senior NCP leader Jayant Patil said: “Pawarsaheb was to come to this rally. But, he could not make it owing to a helicopter snag”.
Pawar was reportedly away campaigning for his party candidate at Mahad in Raigad district of coastal Konkan region. “He addressed two rallies for his party candidate Sunil Tatkare in Raigad. Helicopter snag is a mere excuse for not making to the joint rally. If he really wanted, he could have driven down to Mumbai by road,” a senior Congress leader said.
That Pawar never had a high opinion about Rahul was very much in evidence whenever he spoke about the Congress vice president in recent times. In a television interview telecast in October last year, Pawar had indirectly suggested that Rahul lacked experience to lead a government and ruled the possibility of ever working under the latter’s leadership.
"One has to prove his mettle in administration. I would have been happy if he joined the Manmohan Singh Government, but it's his personal decision. I cannot say anything about that. I would have preferred if he would have joined government, it would have been beneficial for him. I have no knowledge whether he (Rahul Gandhi) has proved himself," the NCP chief had said.
While maintaining that he would always by the Congress and like-minded parties, Pawar had however said that he would not be working with Rahul owing to “generation gap”.
“There is no question of working together. There is a generation gap," the NCP chief had said.