Media is floating stories that NCP Chief Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena Supremo Udhav Thakarey came close to each other when they had participated in the Centenary celebrations of Saraswat Bank held last year in Mumbai.
The occasion was marked by gaiety and co-op pride as the largest cooperative in the country (Saraswat Bank has the highest turnover so far) was celebrating the event by inviting chiefs of all political parties as well as co-operators and its members.
A photograph of the event in which UCB’s Chairman Gautam Thakur is seen walking flanked by both Pawar and Udhav is particularly referred to by media to prove its point.
Gautam Thakur, when asked about the significance of the meeting refused to comment. “We are professionals and we do not have anything to do with politics, though we do have personal relationships. We have the best of relationship with every one including Devendra Fadanvis”, was all he said.
Insiders, however, pooh pooh the media conjecture saying the relationship between the two- Pawar and Thakarey has been quite old. “They will be critical of each other at public platforms during elections in the day and would dine together at night” said many of them referring to Bala Saheb and Sharad Pawar.