Amid reports of rift with Eknath Shinde, Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Sunday asserted that he has a very good relationship with the Shiv Sena leader. Shinde will speak to him directly in case of any issues, he said.
Mumbai: Amid reports of rift with Eknath Shinde, Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Sunday asserted that he has a very good relationship with the Shiv Sena leader. Shinde will speak to him directly in case of any issues, he said.
Pawar’s statement amidst speculations that Shinde complained to union home minister Amit Shah of not getting enough cooperation and files not getting cleared by the finance department headed by Pawar. “It is absolutely a lie. If Shinde had any complaint, he would have directly spoken to me or would have either told Chief Minister Devendra Fadnvis. Our relations are cordial. But I don’t think he would directly complain to Amit Shah,” said Pawar.
On the eve of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s death anniversary, Shah came down to Pune on Saturday and from there flew to Raigad Fort to pay respect to the Maratha emperor. Later, Shinde held discussions with Shah at the Sahyadri Guest House in Mumbai for an hour. Sources said the Shiv Sena chief complained to Shah that Pawar was not clearing government files.
“I, along with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Shinde, were together with Shah throughout the day, but Shah did not say anything about any such complaint. Don’t go by what sources say,” he added.
Pawar said he and Shinde have been attending meetings together every week and they are taking decisions in a coordinated manner.
Meanwhile, senior BJP leader and former minister Sudhir Mungantiwar supported Shinde saying the latter would not use such ways to raise complaints before Shah.
“Eknath Shinde is a good leader. He would not use such ways to raise complaints before Shah. Shinde is such a leader who will not wait and raise it with Amit Shah. He would directly speak with Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar,” said Munguntiwar.
The ruling alliance comprises the BJP, Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party. It came to power in December after a landslide victory in the Vidhan Sabha polls. While Fadnavis is the CM, there are two deputy CMs – Shinde and Pawar – in the cabinet.
