BJP government faces test after Shiv Sena ministers skip meet on farmers issue

MUMBAI: The corridors of power are buzzing with questions about the likely fallout of the Shiv Sena ministers ‘boycotting’ the weekly cabinet meet on the farmers issue. On Wednesday, Sena ministers left the Cabinet within minutes of it starting.

Transport minister Diwakar Raote, industries minister Subhash Desai and other Sena ministers chose not to attend the meeting. The disgruntled ministers’ utterances though the day gave a sense that Sena could use the farmer’s issue to part ways with the BJP. Desai said they boycotted the meet and that they would not attend the cabinet meet till a complete farm loan waiver is granted.

A complete farm loan waiver is unlikely as it would cost upwards of a Rs 1 lakh crore.

According to Sena ministers, they had asked for the cabinet to discuss the issue of a farm loan waiver but since the CM did not accept their demands they boycotted the meet. However, those close to the CM had a different version. According to them, when the Sena ministers raised the issues with CM Devendra Fadnvais, he told them that he would discuss the issue with them after the cabinet meet was over.

However, Sena refused to budge and boycotted the meet. This is the first meet that has been boycotted by the Sena, though there have been many a times when Sena ministers have walked out of the cabinet meetings. While clouds of a midterm poll gather over the state, the BJP is trying to sound upbeat. Maharashtra’s FM Sudhir Mungantiwar told reporters that Sena did not boycott the meeting.

“I came late (to the cabinet meeting) and was told that the Sena ministers had sought CM’s nod to leave the meeting and they were allowed to do so,”claimed Mungantiwar.