Sharad Pawar meets Amit Shah amid Shiv Sena-NCP spat, triggers speculations

The two parties of the ruling coalition are at loggerheads over state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh.
Sharad Pawar, Advani and Amit Shah
Sharad Pawar, Advani and Amit Shah
Written by:

As Maharashtra's ruling MVA constituents Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Shiv Sena spar over state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, the Congress is staying a silent spectator even while speculations do rounds on the motive behind the purported meeting between NCP supremo Sharad Pawar and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

With Amit Shah indicating the meeting with Pawar did take place in Ahmedabad without revealing any more details, the incident has upset the Congress and the Sena at the crucial time when the BJP has launched an onslaught on the Uddhav Thackeray-led state government. Sources within the Congress say that the party is watching the moves closely but will not comment publicly until there is some political development.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to the media at his residence after the said meeting with Sharad Pawar and former Union Minister Praful Patel. "Everything cannot be made public," he said to a question from the reporters.  His cryptic comment left everyone guessing even as reports about the meeting had triggered speculations amid the political crisis in Maharashtra in wake of former former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh's serious charges against state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, of the NCP.

The NCP took exception to Sena spokesman Sanjay Raut terming Deshmukh an "accidental Home Minister" in Sena mouthpiece 'Saamna', claiming that he was chosen by Pawar for the post after the NCP's first choices refused. The NCP hit back, with state Minister and party spokesman Nawab Malik refuting claims that Deshmukh was chosen "accidentally" while Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said that selecting ministers from the NCP quota was sole discretion of Sharad Pawar. The NCP chief has given a clean chit to Deshmukh, in wake of the serious charges made against him by former Mumbai Police chief Param Bir Singh in an explosive letter, saying the allegations are "vague".

On the BJP's demand for the dismissal of the Home Minister Pawar, said: "During the period about which the allegations were levelled against Deshmukh, he was hospitalised. So, the demands for his dismissal hold no substance." Pawar had also said that this allegation has been levelled to derail the probe into the incident of the SUV laden with explosives found near the residence of industrialist Mukesh Ambani.

The Congress, which is silent on these developments and insists that the MVA government will run for full five years, has, however, raised objections on Raut suggesting Pawar as UPA Chairperson. State party chief Nana Patole said that they had raised the issue with Chief Minister Thackeray during their meeting.

Meanwhile, the MVA has decided to launch an offensive against a section of powerful serving and retired bureaucrats, allegedly working in tandem with the opposition BJP to topple the Thackeray government.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The News Minute
www.thenewsminute.com