AMN /

POLITICAL SPECUALATIONs are ripe in Maharashtra after NCP Chief Sharad Pawar hosted Finance Minister Arun Jaitley at Baramati.

The development is being seen in the context of the soured ties between the BJP and its ally in government, Shiv Sena, and against the backdrop of Pawar’s party offering unconditional outside support to the BJP last year after the latter emerged as the single largest party to stake claim to form government after Assembly elections.

Mr Jaitley, who is attending a series of functions at Baramati and Pune today, spent last night at Mr Pawar’s Govind Baug residence near Baramati. Mr Pawar was also personally present at Lohagaon airport in Pune last evening to receive Mr Jaitley.

Today, Mr. Jaitley inaugurated the new building of the College of Agriculture and Allied Science and also attended the renaming ceremony of the Vidya Pratishthan College of Engineering as Kamalnayan Bajaj Institute of Engineering and Technology at Baramati. Speaking on the occasion, he said that Agriculture sector is facing major challenges today and to face these challenges we need to establish institutions like Krishi Vidnyan Kendra Baramati all over the country.

Mr Sharad Pawar in his speech gave emphasis on restructuring of Sugar Industry.

Later today, Mr. Jaitley will have dialogue with top 20 personalities from Pune and then will have Interaction with 150 invites on measures taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on various Economic Issues.