Scotching media speculation about the failing health of its national president and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, the NCP’s Maharashtra unit said here on Thursday that he was in good health and was on a scheduled tour of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
In a statement, Maharashtra NCP chief Madhukar Pichad said: “Owing to low sugar, Pawarsaheb felt a bit tired when he addressed a conference of village sarpanchs in Kolhapur a few days ago, and the doctors advised him to take rest for a day. He is now on his vacation in Karnataka. He will be visiting Bangalore, Ooty and Mysore”.
Pawar, who had returned to Pune from Kolhapur on March 24, had cancelled his scheduled appearance on March 25 at a function organised to commemorate the first death anniversary of Nagnath Anna Naikwadi, a veteran freedom fighter and pioneer of co-operative movement in Maharashtra.
Attending the function at the request of Pawar himself and sharing the dais with CM Prithviraj Chavan, SP leader Mulayam Singh had created a stir by saying that no single party could come to power at the Centre on its own strength and hinting at the possibility of the emergence of a Third Front.