Complaints by Congress ministers may have led to Sonia Gandhi's letter: NCP

Congress president Sonia Gandhi'sletter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray where she mentioned the Common Minimum Program (CMP) may have been prompted by complaints about budget cuts by her party's ministers, the NCP said on Saturday.

The NCP is part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in the state alongwith Thackeray's Shiv Sena and the Congress.

"Some Congress leaders may have complained to Sonia Gandhi," said Nawab Malik, a state minister and NCP spokesperson, speaking to a news channel.

The MVA alliance is committed to the CMP but there have been cuts in budgetary allocations for some development works due to the coronavirus pandemic, he said.

"Some Congress leaders may have complained about this," he said.

Senior Congress ministers Balasaheb Thorat and Ashok Chavan are part of the coordination committee of the MVA and aware of the situation, he said.

"Internal bickering in Congress is not new. The issues regarding CMP could have been brought up before the coordination committee by the two ministers," Malik added.

In her letter dated December 14, Gandhi sought the implementation of certain measures for Dalits and tribals such as reservation in government contracts for SC/ST rofessionals.

She also expected that the government will fulfill the CMP in its true spirit in her first such letter to Thackeray since the coalition government was formed last year.