Peeved over defections of their workers to BJP, Sena ministers skip Maharashtra cabinet meet

Mumbai, Nov 18 (PTI) In a significant development ahead of civic elections in Maharashtra, most of the Shiv Sena ministers in the Mahayuti government on Tuesday stayed away from the weekly cabinet meeting, a move coming in the backdrop of defections from the regional party to the BJP.

Only Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who heads the Shiv Sena, was present at the cabinet meeting in Mantralaya (secretariat), sources claimed.

The development comes just days ahead of the first anniversary of the Devendra Fadnavis-headed Mahayuti government.

While no official reason was given for most of the Shiv Sena cabinet ministers staying away from the meeting, sources said the Shinde-led party wanted to send a message to the ally BJP, which heads the Mahayuti, that it did not approve of the latter weaning away its workers and leaders.

"The recent defections from the Shiv Sena to the BJP in Kalyan-Dombivli (in Thane district) seem to be the trigger point,'' the sources pointed out.

Another Deputy Chief Minister, Ajit Pawar, who heads Mahayuti constituent Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), sought to downplay the issue, saying he did not sense any disgruntlement during the cabinet meeting.

Sena ministers later met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in his chamber and expressed their ire over the development in Dombivli, but the CM pointed out that it was the Shinde-led party which first admitted BJP members in its fold in neighbouring Ulhasnagar, the sources added.

The chief minister reportedly told the Sena leaders that when their party weans away members of other allies, they should not complain when his party BJP does the same.

Henceforth, the alliance partners should not induct each other's workers, the CM reportedly told the Sena leaders.

Talking to reporters, Deputy Chief Minister Pawar, who attended the meeting, said he was under the impression that the absence of Sena ministers was due to the scrutiny of nomination papers for the December 2 polls to 246 municipal councils and 42 nagar panchayats across Maharashtra.

"Makrand Patil (NCP minister) was absent (at cabinet meeting). Even our Hasan Mushrif (another NCP cabinet member) left early. Had I had known about Shiv Sena ministers being upset, I would have asked Eknath Shinde about it. But I did not sense any disgruntlement," Pawar said.

All political parties have the right to expand their footprint and improve their support base, he argued.

"This happens more when elections are round the corner," the NCP president stated while explaining the cross-party defections ahead of the local body polls in the state.

The ruling Mahayuti alliance comprises the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP.

According to the sources, the BJP has inducted Sena leaders and workers in Kalyan-Dombivli, which has led to unease and discontent among Shinde's party.

State BJP president Ravindra Chavan hails from Dombivli, while Shinde's son Shrikant is a three-time MP from the Kalyan Lok Sabha seat in Thane district, the political home turf of the Shiv Sena chief. PTI MR KRK NP RSY