NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday met Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray amid reports of a strain in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance government in the state.
Pawar met Thackeray at Varsha, the official residence of the chief minister, where both the leaders had an hour-long discussion. State home minister Dilip Walse Patil and Mumbai police commissioner Hemant Nagrale were also present.
The cracks started to emerge when Congress, one of the partners in the MVA alliance, said that the alliance with the Sena has an “expiry date” and in the next assembly polls, his party will fight solo.
Meanwhile, the NCP is upset with the way the central agencies have targeted former Home Minister Anil Deshmukh. On June 25, ED conducted a nine-hour raid at multiple locations related to Deshmukh in Mumbai and Nagpur. Earlier, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted searches at various locations including Deshmukh’s Mumbai residence in May.
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The state BJP unit recently passed a resolution seeking a CBI probe against Deputy CM Ajit Pawar and transport minister Anil Parab based on allegations made by former police officer Sachin Vaze.
“We need a strategy to counter their propaganda against the MVA government. By passing a resolution in the state executive committee meeting, the BJP has cleared their intention to continue a smear campaign. Pawar saheb and Thackeray are likely to have discussed the same,” said a senior NCP minister to the Hindustan Times requesting anonymity.
According to news reports, the two leaders also discussed the post of the Assembly Speaker that fell vacant after Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole. The two day monsoon session of the assembly will start on July 5.
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