Chavan stays mum on NCP’s charges

A day after the NCP trained its guns on chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and complained of lack of co-ordination between the allies in the state government, the CM refused to comment on the issue.

A day after the Nationalist Congress party (NCP) trained its guns on chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and complained of lack of co-ordination between the allies in the state government, the CM refused to comment on the issue.

"The NCP is an important ally for us and they have played an important role in the alliance. I thank them for all the support they gave in the presidential campaign of Pranab Mukherjee," Chavan said on Sunday.

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He was speaking to the media at his residence Varsha on the victory of Mukherjee in the presidential polls. NCP sources had said that the party was unhappy with Chavan’s leadership.

When asked about NCP leader and union minister Praful Patel's comment that his party had not been taken into confidence on important decisions in the state, Chavan told HT: "I am not going to answer any questions related to this issue. This is not the right time."

Congress sources said that while Chavan was eager to refute the allegations, senior Congress leaders in New Delhi had asked him to keep his counsel as Pranab Mukherjee was elected India's new president on Sunday afternoon.

It is likely that Chavan will speak on the rift in a day or two, they added.

The monsoon session of the legislature is on, and will end on Wednesday.