NCP stealing the show, Sena ministers tell CM

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray asked Shiv Sena ministers and leaders to hit the ground running after they complained that the NCP was driving the agenda of the government and its ministers stealing the show as far as government schemes and announcements were concerned. Sena ministers also expressed unhappiness with the way the bureaucracy was responding to them, especially the top-level officers.

They complained that the NCP was being seen as the most-performing party in the three-party Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.

The party ministers spoke their mind at a meeting between them and Thackeray on Thursday at the CM’s official residence Varsha. Some Sena ministers pointed out that Deputy CM Ajit Pawar and most of the other NCP ministers were driving the government’s policies and decisions.

“Many ministers said that they were not consulted when local officials from their districts or their departments were transferred. They said it gave an impression that it was the NCP that was in the driver’s seat in the government with the Sena and the Congress relegated to the sidelines,” a Sena functionary said.

A Sena cabinet minister said that the NCP ministers were taking decisions on their own even on issues that have larger policy and political ramifications. “There have been several such instances.

The most recent relates to Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s announcement about a financial aid of Rs 8 crore to Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Research Training and Human Development Institute (SARTHI). No Sena minister was part of the meeting that took a decision in this regard. This is not done. We are also part of the government. This clearly shows that the NCP is playing the pivotal role in the government and we are being sidelined,” the minister said.

Ajit Pawar, while announcing the financial assistance to SARTHI, said that it would not be shut down.

While the meeting was attended by Rajya Sabha member Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati, OBC Welfare Department Minister Vijay Vadettiwar (Congress); Skill Development Minister Nawab Malik (NCP) and leaders from the Maratha community, no Sena minister was invited.

“We are not getting any say in transfers of bureaucrats in our own districts, and our guardian ministers are not being consulted. Also, the districts represented by Sena ministers get less funds,” the minister said.

According to a Sena functionary, Sena cabinet ministers like Sandipan Bhumre said that junior ministers in their departments were flexing more muscles than the cabinet ministers.

In another instance, a minister said that even the crucial decision of not holding this year’s Ashadi ‘palkhi’ processions from Alandi and Dehu in view of Covid-19 was taken solely by Ajit Pawar.

“Many meetings were held on the issue with the organisers and devotee organisations but the Sena was not involved in any of the meetings. Being a partner in the government and despite the CM being from the Sena, no Sena minister is being involved in crucial decision-making meetings,” the minister said adding that these issues were brought to the notice of Thackeray.

Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, who is guardian minister of Pune district, had held a meeting with the trustees of Alandi, Dehu and Pandharpur temples.

Another Sena minister said that the top bureaucrats were not responding well to Sena ministers. “It is the NCP that seems to be calling the shots. It was expected that a party man would be appointed in the CMO. But an IAS officer has been appointed, so coordination between the CMO and the party needs to be improved,” the functionary said.

Thackeray has told them that the CM is form the Sena, and they must take tough decisions in public interest. They have been asked not to crib but create an impact like the NCP ministers were doing, a functionary said.

After the meeting, Thackeray told the ministers to go out in the field and report Covid-19-related grievances to Sena minister Subhash Desai.

“Subhash Desaiji will compile the grievances like shortage of medicines, doctors or any other corona-related issue, and follow them up with the state government officers and ensure that the Sena ministers and leaders get help and their issues are resolved,” the functionary said.