All is not well in Maha Vikas Aghadi government?

All is not well in Maha Vikas Aghadi government?

NCP and Congress are all upset with Uddhav because of his increasing reliance upon Chief Secretary Ajoy Mehta and his posse of bureaucrats

Pramod ChunchuwarUpdated: Tuesday, May 26, 2020, 11:50 PM IST
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Mumbai: While for all practical purposes, the Uddhav Thackeray government projects a stable facade, on the inside, cracks in the Maha Vikas Aghadi grow wider by the day.The Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, who met Thackeray at Matoshree for the first time after the latter became CM, reportedly discussed the issue of continuation of the government. Ministers from the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress are all upset with Uddhav because of his increasing reliance upon Chief Secretary Ajoy Mehta and his posse of bureaucrats.“All key ministers were in favour of making arrangements to send to their home towns people from Maharashtra who live in Mumbai. But the bureaucracy and district collectors opposed this move. At the meeting for the Balasaheb Thackeray memorial, even Pawar supported this demand. But Thackeray refused to heed the suggestions of his own colleagues and a senior leader like Pawar,” according to a senior leader present at the meeting. Now, the impression among Thackeray's cabinet members is that the CM is being controlled by the bureaucracy, as he personally lacks experience of governance.

Alternatives being discussed

As per highly placed sources, both, the NCP and the Congress feel that the lack of experience of governance, lack of command over the administration and the exacerbation of the corona crisis may damage the reputation of both, the state government and the two parties. In view of the CM's soft-spoken demeanour and his health issues, he is unable to move about in this period. Therefore, both parties have floated a new arrangement.“The NCP can lead the government, the Shiv Sena and the Congress can have the deputy chief minister's post,” is the idea being seriously discussed within the MVA.“Pawar, in a meeting with Thackeray, reportedly hinted that the latter could step down if he feels he cannot handle this tough challenge of governance in the corona pandemic. But what Thackeray will decide cannot be foretold,” said another leader.

Congress upset

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's statement that his party was not a key decision-maker in the MVA government, is being perceived as the party’s message to Thackeray. The MVA partner wants the Maharashtra government to announce NYAY-like schemes as has been done by the Chhattisgarh government. But there has been no response to this demand. Further, the Congress feels it is being sidelined, as most of the time, it is Thackeray and Pawar who discussed issues and Congress leaders are left out. Congress ministers from Vidarbha too have conveyed that they are not being taken into confidence during decision-making.

BJP trying to engineer split in NCP

As per sources, the BJP is trying hard to engineer a split in the NCP, as it did last year, to form a government by roping in Ajit Pawar as deputy CM. Towards this end, the BJP is creating a perception that at any time now, Maharashtra is likely to go under President's rule. Pawar, who has sensed this ploy, has immediately started to reject this possibility by floating the idea that the NCP will get the CM post and is thus keeping Ajit Pawar guessing.

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