Pawar’s threat divides ruling allies in state

The fault lines between the ruling allies in Maharashtra got sharper with senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leaders pointing a finger at chief minister Prithviraj Chavan’s style of functioning, a day after their party chief Sharad Pawar threatened to quit the Union cabinet over the Congress’ poor adherence to coalition dharma.

The fault lines between the ruling allies in Maharashtra got sharper with senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leaders pointing a finger at chief minister Prithviraj Chavan’s style of functioning, a day after their party chief Sharad Pawar threatened to quit the Union cabinet over the Congress’ poor adherence to coalition dharma.

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Pawar is expected to reach Mumbai today, to discuss the situation with his partymen.

By afternoon on Friday, the ball was set rolling, with senior NCP ministers and functionaries in the state legislature clearly stating that the poor co-ordination in Maharashtra was also one of the reasons for the party chief’s irritation.

The state party president, Madhukar Pichad, told the media: “While running a coalition, co-ordination between the allies is very important. Some issues concerning Maharashtra have been flagged but not addressed. They need to be resolved.”

A senior cabinet minister told HT: “In Delhi, the issues may be of poor co-ordination, but in Maharashtra, there is no co-ordination. If the situation gets serious the repercussions will be felt in the state. Here, it has become difficult to run the government as we are thwarted in all our plans and policy decisions.”

He added that as a United Progressive Alliance (UPA) ally, the NCP had acted with the most restraint, and hence had been constantly taken for a ride.

The relations between the allies in the state have hit rock bottom after Chavan took over as the chief minister. Deputy chief minister and Pawar’s nephew, Ajit Pawar, and Chavan share a relationship of mutual mistrust. They rarely share a common platform and are known to criticise each other in the media.

There have been several flashpoints between the allies over the last year-and-a-half, including the dissolution of the Maharashtra State Co-operative Bank, where even the NCP chief had to intervene.

Ajit Pawar said: “From what I know of Mr Pawar, I can say with complete confidence that this issue is not about the number 2 position or sitting in some chair. He became the chief minister when he was 37. We are waiting for him to come here, brief us and then we can take a call.”

He claimed that many MLAs, and not just from the NCP but also from the Congress, had expressed unhappiness over how decision-making in the state had slowed down.

Surendra Jondhale, political analyst, said: “This is clearly a pressure tactic for more political space by Mr Pawar, whether it’s an additional ministerial chair for his daughter or a clear number 2 position, for instance, a deputy prime ministership. He may even ask for Chavan to be called back to Delhi. However, the Congress and NCP alliance in the state will continue till 2014 as both parties have no other choice.”