Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan’s reluctance to share the dais with Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan took an unusual turn on Saturday when Chavan surprised everyone by showing up a day earlier at the 83rd Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan.
The first literary meet was held in Pune in 1878 and it was only in 1965 that the annual gathering was called the Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan as it is known today.
While Bachchan has confirmed his presence on Sunday, the chief minister on Saturday remained non-committal saying “there’s still 24 hours for tomorrow”. Speaking to reporters at the SP College grounds venue, Chavan kept all options open for speculation.
Bachchan’s presence has become a thorny issue for Chavan ever since he was seen sitting next to the superstar during the Bandra-Worli Sealink’s north carriageway inauguration in Mumbai on Wednesday.
While Chavan had shown displeasure over Bachchan’s presence there, Mumbai Congress committee president Kripa Shankar Singh had boycotted the event as Bachchan has fallen out sorely with the Sonia Gandhi family.
While Chavan’s flip-flop has angered a large section of the Marathi audience at the literary meet, Bachchan, on the other hand has been preparing to recite the Marathi song Labhale Aamhas Bhagya Bolato Marathi (It is my good fortune that I speak Marathi) penned by the eminent poet, late Suresh Bhat.
When asked by reporters about the rescheduling of his visit to the Sahitya Sammelan, Chavan said, “Can’t I attend the meet today like any other lover of literature?” Asked whether he would be present on Sunday, Chavan said, “There are still 24 hours to go for tomorrow, let’s wait and watch.”
The Sahitya Sammelan’s reception committee chairman Satish Desai maintained emphatically that Chavan would be present for the concluding ceremony Sunday with Bachchan.
“The chief minister has accepted our invitation and has not yet conveyed any change from the schedule tomorrow,” he said.
On Saturday, Chavan’s office informed the organisers of his arrival at the venue at around 1pm even as Chavan was already on the way to Pune.
The organisers then had to hurry, to make changes in their schedule to accommodate the chief minister’s speech.
