'Peeved' Shinde government clips dy CM Ajit Pawar's wings
BJP 'peeved' at deputy CM Ajit Pawar's 'unilateral' decision-making moves. Chief minister Eknath Shinde is now putting in place measures to ensure that Pawar's future decisions are made 'unanimously'.
Files cleared by finance and planning minister Ajit Pawar would be routed to deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and only then it would be sent to Shinde for his final approval. The developments have come after several decisions taken by Pawar over the past few days have rubbed both the Shinde and BJP camps the wrong way.
On August 21, Pawar had put in stringent conditions for six sugar cooperatives owned or controlled by BJP leaders and MLAs before they could receive a loan from the National Co operative Development Corporation (NCDC).
The decision was, however, reversed by the Shinde government on Wednesday. The conditions, while financially prudent, were seen as an attempt by Pawar to cut BJP's influence in the sector.
NCP dominates the state's cooperative sector and it has resented BJP's foray into the sector.
On Tuesday, several BJP leaders and MLAs such as Vijaysinh Mohite Patil, Abhimanyu Pawar, Harshvardhan Patil and others, who were to receive the loan, met Shinde and Fadnavis and complained about the situation. After the meeting, a decision was taken to withdraw the order.
The development has now led to the CM putting in place a mechanism by which Pawar alone would not take decisions.
Henceforth, files and key decisions from Pawar's ministry would first go to Fadnavis and after the latter's nod, they would be sent to the chief minister for his consent.
NCDC loan was not the only move that miffed Shinde Sena and BJP. A few days earlier, the cooperation ministry that is with NCP issued a notice for confiscation of assets of
