Maharashtra cabinet fumes at Governor plan to review meetings

The governor is scheduled to hold review meetings in Nanded, Hingoli and Parbhani districts in central Maharashtra districts from Thursday to Saturday

In a fresh round of tussle between the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government and Governor BS Koshyari, the ruling coalition has criticised the latter, alleging that he was trying to create two power centres in the state. The state cabinet on Tuesday took objected to the governor’s travel schedule that consists of review meetings in Nanded, Hingoli and Parbhani districts in central Maharashtra districts from Thursday to Saturday.

Following the cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Maharashtra chief secretary (CS) Sitaram Kunte went to Raj Bhavan and conveyed the displeasure of the government to the principal secretary to the governor. (HT FILE)

Following the cabinet meeting on Tuesday, chief secretary (CS) Sitaram Kunte went to Raj Bhavan and conveyed the displeasure of the government to the principal secretary to the governor and said the review meetings were “inappropriate”.

This is the latest episode in the friction between Koshyari and the Uddhav Thackeray-led government, which assumed office in November 2019.

State minority affairs minister Nawab Malik said that since the time the MVA government has come to power, the Raj Bhavan has “interfered” with state government’s business. The government has also raised objection to the governor inaugurating two hostels built by the minority affairs department for Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University in Nanded district. Malik said the department has not handed over the hostel to the university, but the event is being held without intimating the state government.

“On August 5, the governor will hold review meetings with Nanded collector and district officials. On August 6, he is heading to Hingoli, where there is no university or any official programme. He is holding review meetings with district collector and officials. Later, he is visiting Parbhani, where the Agricultural University is located, but he is scheduled to hold review meeting with district collector and officials. Is the governor trying to paint a picture that there are two power centres in the state?” Malik asked. The governor is the chancellor of all the universities in the state.

Malik added, “If the governor wants any information, he can ask the chief secretary. Instead he’s going to the three districts and holding meetings with government officials. Therefore, the honourable governor is trying to show that there are two power centres.”

The minister further said, “The CS has been directed to go to Raj Bhavan and apprise the governor’s secretary that the programme announced are the state government’s rights and it is not appropriate. The CS will meet his [governor’s] secretary today. The state government has expressed displeasure and the cabinet has opposed the governor’s programme,” Malik said.

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) minister, in a sharp attack on Koshyari, said that the governor seems to have forgotten that he is not a chief minister (CM) any more. Koshyari was the Uttarakhand CM between October 2001 and March 2002.

“He was CM once upon a time. He still thinks that he is a CM, but that isn’t the case. Has he forgotten that he is the governor? We are sure that as the cabinet has objected to his programmes, he will not hold the review meetings. He can carry on with his university event in Nanded as he is the chancellor.”

Raj Bhavan did not respond to MVA’s allegations. “The programmes of the governor were planned in consultation with the universities that invited him as chancellor. The hostels at Nanded are already operational and students are staying in them. The governor will visit them. As long as meetings with collectors are concerned, those are just a formality,’ a Raj Bhavan official said, adding, “There is no change in the Governor’s programmes.”

The tussle between the MVA government and Koshyari has been going on for over a year now.

The tussle between MVA and governor first came to fore when the state cabinet nominated Thackeray’s name to be appointed to the upper house of the legislature – a move that would have safeguarded his chief ministership. However, the governor did not nominate him to the legislative Council.

Koshyari also held review meetings with officials on Covid-19 management during the first wave, irking the state government.

“This has not happened for the first time. After MVA government came to power, it has been observed that Maharashtra governor has repeatedly impinged in the rights of the government. The governor held a review on the Covid-19 management. The state complained to the Centre after which he stopped,” Malik added.

In October 2020 a war of words broke out after Koshyari wrote to Thackeray, and remarked if the CM had turned secular for not deciding on reopening of temples and other places of worship. Thackeray in his response hit back saying he did not need a certificate from Koshyari on Hindutva.

Another ongoing tussle is over the appointment of members to the Council. The cabinet has recommended 12 names for nomination to the upper house from governor’s quota. However, despite repeated reminders, Raj Bhavan has not cleared the names. In February, the state government denied permission to the governor to use a state government aircraft for a private trip to Dehradun, triggering a row and inviting sharp criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In July, the MVA had expressed displeasure over Governor’s visit to flood-affected areas in Konkan along with BJP legislators.

Reacting to the government’s criticism of Koshyari, Maharashtra BJP chief spokesperson Keshav Upadhye said that the governor has the right to hold review meetings as all the decisions are made in his name.

“He is the constitutional head of the state. All decisions are made in his name. So he has the right to do so [hold reviews]. The government does not want to do any real work and therefore, blame game is an easy choice for them,” he said.