Sharad Pawar, Gopinath Munde, Narayan Rane, Dilip Walse-Patil take potshots at one another

It was a rare meeting of four political heavyweights on one dais.

For those who were waiting for the fireworks, it did not quite pan out. But it was not without its share of political byplay either.

Bharatiya Janata Party National General Secretary Gopinath Munde took a dig at the dismal power scenario in the state, Pune in particular, by thanking state Electricity and Education Minister Dilip Walse-Patil for no power cuts during Thursday’s function.

Munde did not spare Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh either, terming him a man of many words and little action.

State Revenue Minister Narayan Rane had a go at Munde and his party asking what the BJP-Shiv Sena combine did when it was in power.

However, Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, refused to join sides and tried to calm things down by referring to the friendship Munde and Rane had nurtured all these years .

“I am happy that Rane mentioned his friendship with Munde. I feel Munde was a loyal friend as he guided Rane. But Rane has not remained loyal. It was he who left his party. My fatherly advise to Rane is don’t leave your friend behind.”

However, he could not resist to give a piece of ‘advice’ to Munde when he asked him to remain patient. “Munde’s party has patience. They keep on waiting with optimism as they did in the last Assembly elections,” said Pawar.

... contd.