Shiv Sena MLAs meet CM, complain of unfair funding

Mumbai: Alleging discrimination in distributing funds, Shiv Sena MLAs met chief minister Devendra Fadnavis late on Thursday night.  The CM has said he will look into the matter. The Sena MLAs are also upset with their own ministers for not getting the works named by Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray done and also tried to build pressure on the ministers.

The MLAs complained to the chief minister that BJP MLAs were given more funds for development works. The list of works that has been given by Mr Thackeray as to be completed by the government have not been completed, they said. Mr Fadnavis said special officers would be appointed to get the works done.

Minister of state for water resources department and Shiv Sena leader Vijay Shivtare said the meeting with Mr Fadnavis was on certain issues. “There were complaints by the MLAs about discrimination in distributing funds. Uddhavji Thackeray had given a list of works that are not completed yet. Our MLAs will be disappointed if they do not get funds allocated in the upcoming budget of the state,” Mr Shivtare said. The minister also said a coordination committee would be appointed between the two parties Sena and BJP to carry out the works mentioned by Mr Thackeray.

Though Sena has agreed with Mr Fadnavis on the coordination committee, the MLAs were unhappy about their own ministers too. An internal meeting of Sena MLAs was held, in which they expressed their reservations about the party ministers. The Sena MLAs alleged that the ministers were not doing works in the party’s favour, sources said. The MLAs were also concerned that their party chief Uddhav Thackeray had restricted himself to Mumbai and Thane municipal corporations polls and has not concentrated in rural areas.

“The MLAs feel demoralised if their own ministers are not helping them. We just expressed this with our leaders in the meeting. We fought the local body polls without much support. We expect that at least our works should be done,” a Sena MLA said on condition of anonymity. The sources in the party said that the flip flop over the alliance between Shiv Sena and BJP has also affected the Sena at the grassroots level. Before the polls, the political atmosphere was so charged that it was speculated that Sena might withdraw support for the government. However, after the results, nothing has happened, the sources added.