Unhappy Shinde skips cabinet meeting

Shiv Sena leaders downplayed the matter, saying the deputy chief minister had extended his stay in Srinagar, where he had gone for a blood donation campaign organised on Sunday by party functionary Chandrahar Patil

Mumbai: Deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday skipped a Maharashtra cabinet meeting on Tuesday, fuelling speculation that he continues to be upset with the Devendra Fadnavis-led government.

Shiv Sena leaders downplayed the matter, saying the deputy chief minister had extended his stay in Srinagar, where he had gone for a blood donation campaign organised on Sunday by party functionary Chandrahar Patil. (ANI)

While Shiv Sena leaders downplayed the matter, saying Shinde had extended his stay in Srinagar, where he had gone for a blood donation campaign organised on Sunday by party functionary Chandrahar Patil, opposition parties alleged the deputy chief minister skipped the cabinet meeting due to disagreements within the Mahayuti government.

The skipped cabinet meeting follows three trips by Shinde to Delhi recently to meet Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) bigwigs, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah. BJP leaders aware of developments said Shinde has skipped government meetings for various reasons on at least three occasions since the Mahayuti came to power in November, while the Shiv Sena chief’s spokesperson said it had happened just twice.

HT reported in February that Shinde had skipped two meetings chaired by chief minister Fadnavis concerning the urban development department, which is headed by the Shiv Sena chief. Back then, Shinde was reportedly upset with Fadnavis for several reasons, including being denied the chief minister’s post in Mahayuti 3.0. Since then, the senior BJP leader had seized every opportunity to assert his authority over the Shiv Sena chief.

More recently, Fadnavis has been upset with a series of controversies involving Shiv Sena leaders, including junior home minister Yogesh Kadam, social justice minister Sanjay Shirsat, mining minister Shambhuraj Desai, and MLAs Sanjay Gaikwad and Sanjay Rathod. Likewise, Shinde has been unhappy with the Fadnavis government due to Shiv Sena leaders being sidelined or targeted by agencies, according to people aware of the developments.

After Shinde skipped Tuesday’s cabinet meeting, Shiv Sena (UBT) deputy leader Sushama Andhare attacked the Mahayuti government. “There is a lot of mess in the government. Appointments of guardian ministers for Nashik and Raigad were stayed. Now, for Independence Day, Girish Mahajan of the BJP and Aditi Tatkare of the NCP will hoist flags in Nashik and Raigad, respectively. [Shiv Sena’s] Dada Bhuse and Bharat Gogawale, who had claimed guardian ministerships of Nashik and Raigad, have been kept out. Shinde’s group is constantly kept aside. BJP is showing its real colours and asserting itself. Shinde is demoralised and unhappy. That’s why he stayed out of Maharashtra while there was a cabinet meeting,” she said.

Shiv Sena leaders, however, said that Shinde had extended his stay in Srinagar, which is why he did not attend the cabinet meeting. Following the blood donation event in Srinagar on Sunday, Shinde attended a few other programmes and stayed there. His office then cancelled some of his meetings on Monday.

“He is in Srinagar. He has extended his stay. He will be back on Wednesday,” said social welfare minister Sanjay Shirsat. Shiv Sena MP and spokesperson Naresh Mhaske added that seven ministers did not attend the cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar of the NCP also downplayed the matter, saying, “Some ministers were in Delhi, some had other work. We are working together in the government.”

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena minister Bharat Gogawale has also been camping in Delhi, trying to meet BJP bigwigs, as he vies for the guardian ministership for Raigad, according to people aware of developments.