Sharad Pawar dismisses talk of rift in MVA, dubs CM Uddhav's performance as 'satisfactory'

Addressing the media in Pune on Tuesday, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar dismissed speculations of a rift in the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance. This comes a day after he met Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray at the latter's Matoshree residence where issues such as the differences over the transfer of IPS officers and induction of Shiv Sena corporators in NCP were reportedly discussed. Pawar maintained that his discussion with Thackeray pertained to the pressing issues of the state.

Commenting on the criticism levelled against Thackeray by BJP, Pawar reckoned that this was expected from the opposition. Describing the Maharashtra CM's work as "satisfactory", he conceded that all other work in the state had to be stopped after the COVID-19 crisis emerged as a priority. The NCP supremo also mentioned that the state Cabinet holds meetings for 14-15 hours a day regarding the novel coronavirus crisis. 

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Sharad Pawar remarked, "I read reports that there is uneasiness and resentment in the alliance. There is no uneasiness. There is no resentment. My conversation with the Chief Minister takes place regarding the pressing issues of the state. There is no other reason."

Reacting to BJP's criticism of Thackeray, he said, "It is the job of the opposition to criticise. The work that we are witnessing is satisfactory. But is true that the priorities of the government changed after the advent of the COVID-19 crisis. All other works had to be stopped and he had to focus only on coronavirus. I am witnessing that the CM and his Cabinet colleagues hold meetings for 14-15 hours a day regarding the COVID-19 crisis. And it is necessary. I feel that such criticism is not warranted at this juncture."

Read: Doctor's Prescription Won't Be Required For Covid Test In Mumbai; BMC Gives Testing Boost

Fissures emerge in MVA

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi set the rumour mills abuzz on May 26 after trying to distance his party from the Maharashtra government's handling of the COVID-19 crisis. Maintaining that there was a difference between running and supporting a government, he observed that the Congress party was not the key decision-maker in Maharashtra. The rift escalated in June after senior Congress leaders including Ashok Chavan and Balasaheb Thorat publicly admitted that there were certain differences with the functioning of the government.

They demanded that Congress should get a bigger stake in the decision-making process and conveyed their grievances to Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray. Recently, many Congress and NCP Ministers were allegedly not consulted before Thackeray announced the extension of the lockdown till July 31. Subsequently, Sharad Pawar met Thackeray on July 3 and advised him to keep alliance partners in the loop while taking major decisions. He also reportedly expressed his disagreement on the harsh lockdown restrictions imposed in some places. 

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