Modi shares stage with ‘Sharadrao’ in Baramati


New Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today shared stage with Nationalist Congress Party(NCP) leader Sharad Pawar at Baramati. Also on stage were Ajit Pawar, Praful Patel, Governor and Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Modi delivered a speech after laying foundation stone of Centre for Excellence on Vegetable Production here. In his speech, Shri Modi called Sharad Pawar as ‘Sharadrao’. Modi said there has been no month when Sharadrao and I don’t speak with each other on the issues of nation’s good. Modi said also said that he consults Sharad Pawar considering his experience.

Modi said when he was Chief Minister, Gujarat was the first state in the country to start the movement of issuing soil card. The state had achieved excellent results, Modi added. He said, “I visited a soil testing laboratory here just now. I told Mr. Bhoyte there that why can’t we rope in standard10th, 11th, 12th students by giving training to them for soil testing, so that we can use school laboratory for soil testing during vacation period? Laboratories of schools anyway are not in use during February-July period every year. We can provide them equipments needed for soil testing. This way we can utilize existing school infrastructure. Students can earn this way. I have sent proposals to various states in this regard.”

PTI reports:

Putting behind the rancour of bitterly fought Maharashtra Assembly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today shared dais with NCP leader Sharad Pawar and had lunch with him, setting off speculation about a possible political realignment in the state.

Though the two leaders insisted that no political meaning should be read into the public bonhomie exhibited by them, much political significance is being attached to their coming together following strains in BJP’s relations with ally Shiv Sena.

Modi, who had while stumping for the Assembly elections in October last year called NCP a “naturally corrupt party” and asked the people to free themselves from the “yoke” of the Pawar family, attended events related to the various establishments run by Sharad Pawar on his home turf.

He visited the Vidya Pratishthan, run by the Pawars and inaugurated the Appasaheb Pawar Auditorium named after Sharad Pawar’s brother, an influential leader of the sugar cooperative movement from where the NCP leader draws much of his political clout.

Modi praised Pawar at a farmers’ conclave at the Krishi Vigyan Kendra, a Central government undertaking, where he inaugurated a Centre for Excellence for Vegetables and thanked him for inviting him to Baramati.

“As Chief Minister of Gujarat, I faced problems, including those from the Government of India. I then used to call Sharad Rao and he rose above party politics and helped me out. Never a month passed when we didn’t talk 2-3 times.For his contribution, I felicitate him here, in Baramati,” Modi said.

Mindful of presence of a large media contingent at the event, Modi said, “Today is a special day for the media. They would keenly observe what I said earlier (during the polls) and what I say today. This is the beauty of democracy.

“Democracy works on two tracks. The first is of ‘vivad’ (debate) and second is ‘samvad’ (communication). We are in different political parties with different agenda, but for us country is above party and statesmanship is above politics,” he said.

“But, in our country, the meeting of two leaders makes big news. The communication (between leaders) should never stop and in this those in power have a greater responsibility,” Modi said.

Pawar, too, sought to clarify that their appearance together was for development and that political motives should not be attributed.

“We may fight in politics for two days. But for the rest 363 days we should be devoted to development. We are always ready to support you in all your development initiatives,” he said. .

Extending his support to Modi for his development agenda, Pawar sought his intervention for removing barriers on export of sugar and improving condition of dairy farmers.

He also sought reservation for the Dhangar (shepherd) community on the lines of scheduled tribes. Modi had during his election meeting in Baramati slammed Pawar for having failed to secure reservation for the community.

Though the two leaders meticulously avoided speaking anything that showed they were getting closer politically, there has been talk of their growing political proxymity, particularly after Shiv Sena’s public attack on Modi for the Delhi election debacle.

NCP had unilaterally announced its support to the minority BJP government in the state after the Assembly polls and assumed its role in the Opposition only after Shiv Sena relented and joined the government after weeks of hard bargaining over portfolios.

NCP’s relations with Congress since their parting of ways just ahead of the Assembly elections are far from cordial.

State Congress president Manikrao Thakre’s remark that Sharad Pawar’s party had not yet cleared doubts in the minds of the people about its support to the BJP-led government has not gone down well with NCP.

In his address to the farmers, the Prime Minister said agriculture was a major tool in the fight against poverty but stressed on the need for mechanised farming for making it profitable.

“Rapid agricultural growth is not possible without harnessing modern technology,” he said.

Underscoring the need for water conservation, Modi said Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana has been launched across the country for optimum utilisation of scarce water resources.

We want MNREGA also to be dovetailed with the programme, he said.

The Prime Minister stressed on the need for using drip irrigation and sprinkler technology in water-scarce areas and scientific and technological intervention in enhancing sugar content in the sugarcane crop.

He also called for involving students of class 10 onwards in soil testing at laboratories set up in schools during vacations that would apart from helping them guide the farmers earn them money.