Sharad Pawar takes Sonia hint, sends Jagan packing

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Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar abruptly cancelled a meeting convened by him on Wednesday, at which food minister K.V. Thomas was also to be present, to discuss the memorandum submitted by Kadapa MP Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on the problems of farmers in the state.

Mr Pawar had invited Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy too to participate in the meeting, when the latter called on him on Tuesday.

The news about the special meeting convened by the Union minister and Mr Reddy meeting Mr Pawar, prominently carried in vernacular papers, had prompted Telugu Desam MPs to stall question hour in the Lok Sabha.

Congress MP from Amalapuram G.V. Harsha Kumar, who briefed Ms Sonia Gandhi on why the TD members stalled the proceedings, brought to her notice the special meeting that Mr Pawar had arranged and to which Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy was invited.

He reportedly complained to her that Mr Pawar had arranged a special meeting for Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy while not giving an appointment to Congress MPs from the state who wanted to represent to him the plight of farmers.

Ms Gandhi immediately called Mr Thomas who was present in the House and enquired about the special meeting.

Following this development, Mr Thomas contacted Mr Pawar and informed him of his inability to attend the evening meeting due to his hectic schedule in Parliament.

Some Congress MPs from the state also asked Mr Pawar how he could arrange a special meeting for Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy, when Mr Reddy has been critical of the Congress and Ms Sonia Gandhi.