Ajit Pawar skips weekly cabinet meeting

Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Tuesday skipped the weekly Cabinet meeting. Although officially indisposed, Ajit met NCP leaders in his house, triggering speculation that he was miffed with alliance partners BJP and the Shinde faction of Shiv Sena.

The finance minister's unhappiness has been attributed to 'clipping of his wings' by fellow DyCM Devendra Fadnavis and chief minister Eknath Shinde. There was speculation that Ajit may not attend the GST council meeting on Saturday. Shinde and Fadnavis have left for New Delhi to meet with senior BJP leaders for talks, while Ajit faction leaders met Fadnavis before the Cabinet meet, where they were learnt to have conveyed a message from him.

The NCP faction is at loggerheads with BJP and Sena faction over guardian ministers for Raigad and Pune districts too. Ajit wants NCP ministers to be made guardian ministers, but BJP and Shiv Sena have opposed it.


The 'sulking' prompted Ajit's cousin Supriya Sule to take digs at the ruling coalition. She said the 'triple engine' government was facing problems. "I heard that Ajit's engine met Fadnavis. There are reports that one engine is not working in the triple engine government. It's been just three months and the honeymoon is not even over but there are already problems," Sule said while addressing party supporters.