The relations between the ruling saffron alliance partners came under further strain on Wednesday, as the Shiv Sena boycotted the Maharashtra Cabinet meeting in protest against what it called the ruling BJP‘s failure to take its president Uddhav Thackeray into confidence.
A day after the Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that his Government would unveil the “biggest-ever” loan waiver package for the needy farmers in the state before October 31, the Sena Ministers stayed away from the State Cabinet meeting presided over Fadnavis.
Talking to media persons after boycotting the State Cabinet, senior Sena Minister Subhash Desai said “The BJP-led State Government has not taken the Shiv Sena into confidence over the farm loan waiver decision. We would like the Chief Minister to make his stand clear on the issue. The State Government cannot announce the loan waiver decision, before passing on the information to our party president Uddhav Thackeray”.
State Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar of the BJP clarified that the Shiv Sena had not boycotted the Cabinet meeting as was being made out by his party’s ally. “The Sena Ministers had taken prior permission from the CM to remain absent at the State Cabinet meeting. The CM had given permission to do so since no major issues were slated to be discussed at the meeting,” Mungantiwar said.
In a related development, Shiv Sena – in an editorial published in its official mouth-piece Saamana – ridiculed the CM’s statement that he would hold talks with only the farmers.