MUMBAI: Maharashtra deputy CM Ajit Pawar said on Friday that he had left the cabinet meeting early on Thursday to attend a farmers’ event in Latur and that there was no friction between him and CM Eknath Shinde or anyone in Mahayuti. The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, meanwhile, took a dig at the state govt over the issue, with Congress’ leader of opposition Vijay Wadettiwar saying efforts were being made to sideline Ajit Pawar.
TOI had reported on Thursday that Pawar left early from the cabinet meet and 38 decisions were later taken.Senior officials who were present said Pawar, who holds the finance portfolio, was missing when decisions with major financial implications were taken.
“The cabinet meeting started late, and I had to leave for a pre-scheduled meeting. The cabinet meet was supposed to start at 11 am but it started late. I had to take a flight to reach Nanded and then take a chopper to Ahmadpur to attend a farmers’ meeting. So I informed CM Eknath Shinde and DCM Fadnavis and then left,” Ajit Pawar said.
Wadettiwar said, “It is coming to light that there are always disputes in the cabinet meetings, but this dispute is not for the interest of the state, but for the sake of self-interest. Eighty decisions were taken even when there is no money in the coffers. Ajit Pawar tried to discipline the finance department. Lately, fiscal discipline is being undermined. Mahayuti will leave the state destitute. That is why Ajit Pawar may have taken a step out from the cabinet meeting.”
Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said things were never all well in Mahayuti. “An illegal govt was formed only to break the Sena and NCP. Nobody cares about Devendra Fadnavis as the CM now has direct access to Amit Shah,” Raut said.
The state has come under criticism for pre-election sops costing Rs 96,000 crore, including the Ladki Bahin scheme. The expenditure on the Ladki Bahin scheme on its own is slated to be Rs 46,000 crore per year