MUMBAI: One of the key components of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), the ruling coalition in Maharashtra, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Thursday committed its support to embattled state Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
Speaking to the media, Deputy CM and key NCP leader Ajit Pawar said, โWe will do everything we can to save the alliance. Uddhav Thackrey has our full support and we will try to save this government,โ said Pawar.
Pawar also said that the MVA government is in touch with some of the MLAs in Guwahati. He mentioned that Nitin Deshmukh and Kishore Patil are the two MLAs who both have returned to Mumbai after Thackeray appealed for the MLAs to return to Mumbai.
Reacting to the allegations of budget allocation, Pawar, who is also the stateโs finance minister, said, โThere were allegations against me regarding the cuts in budgetary funds. But I have never discriminated against anyone. When the MVA government came into power every party was given sufficient funds for development in the best possible way. The allegations levelled against me were totally baseless, I never denied allotment of funds to anyone.โ
When asked about Sena MP Sanjay Rautโs comments that his party was open to considering quitting the ruling bloc if dissident MLAs return to Mumbai and holds talks with the CM, Ajit Pawar said, โIt is his prerogative. We will ask Uddhav Thackeray about it. Maybe this was spoken to bring the rebels back to the party fold.โ
Ajit Pawar also said that Shiv Senaโs internal differences have led to the current political crisis in the state.
Meanwhile, Ajit Pawarโs uncle and NCP president Sharad Pawar said, โThe government is in majority or not shall be seen in the Vidhan Sabha. It cannot be said here. The MLAs who withdrew their support should do that here in Vidhan Sabha. Such a statement shouldnโt be made from Assam.โ
When asked if this was the Home Ministryโs failure that such a large number of withdrawals took place, the NCP party leader replied in no time. โNo this is not the Home Ministerโs failure, it is not anyoneโs failure at this timeโ, said the NCP party leader.
Maharashtra is in the midst of a political crisis after Shiv Sena rebel Eknath Shinde took away 40 party MLAs to Guwahati in Assam. Shinde, who has been part of the party for decades, claimed that he is acting in the interests of his party. But rumour mills are abuzz that Shinde is feeling sidelined in the party as Thackeray started to promote his son Aditya.
Shindeโs decision put the MVA government in minority in the 288-member Maharashtra assembly, where the coalition had the strength of 169.
