Crisis in Mahayuti? Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena ministers skip Maharashtra Cabinet meeting

Mumbai: The nearly one-year-old Devendra Fadnavis-headed Mahayuti government plunged into a crisis with the ministers of the Shiv Sena staying away from the weekly Cabinet meeting even as the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi slammed the BJP.

Only Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who is the chief leader of the Shiv Sena, attended the meeting.

Some of the Shiv Sena ministers have even reached out to Fadnavis, the Chief Minister, who heads the Mahayuti dispensation, to resolve the issue.

The Shiv Sena ministers are agitated over the BJP poaching its leaders and workers in the run up to the local bodies elections in Maharashtra.

The recent defections from Shiv Sena to the BJP in Kalyan-Dombivli seem to be the trigger point.

Incidentally, the state BJP President Ravindra Chavan hails from Dombivli.

Fadnavis has apparently pointed out that it was the Shiv Sena which first admitted BJP members in its fold in Ulhasnagar.

Meanwhile, Shinde aide and state Industry Minister Uday Samant is meeting Chavan to resolve the crisis.

Shinde attended the Cabinet meeting and thereafter sub-committee meetings, however, has refrained from commenting on the issue.

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who is the NCP President, evaded a direct reply.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray slammed the BJP and Shiv Sena. “The Shinde Sena ministers boycotted the Cabinet meeting. They didn't go! Why? Because they're angry! Terribly angry! At the Chief Minister and the BJP! Over the seat allocation in the elections and supposedly because they're trying to split their party! This is what they call the thief making a racket to cover up! But boycotting the cabinet meeting for their selfish interests is an insult to Maharashtra and its people! Cabinet meetings are meant to solve the people's issues, not to handle your petty squabbles!How is this governance going on?! All of this is worrisome for Maharashtra”.

“The strength of the members in the cabinet meeting were less,” said BJP’s state Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, adding that Shinde and Pawar were present in the meeting. “There are no problems,” he said.

In a related development, Bawankule is meeting Shinde.

On the other hand, state Disaster Management Minister Girish Mahajan said that there is no dispute at all. "You cannot call it boycott of Cabinet meeting as majority of ministers were present," he added.