MUMBAI: Shiv Sena cabinet ministers Arvind Sawant and Ravindra Waikar have resigned over the office of profit controversy expecting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to raise the issue this week in the Maharashtra Assembly.
Sources said the ministers had submitted their resignations to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray beforehand, expecting ruckus from the BJP during the session, and it was accepted, Tuesday.
“BJP had planned to raise this issue in this week. We did not want any controversy therefore Thackeray had taken the resignations of both leaders in advance. They have not accepted the post so there is no issue of office of profit,” claimed a Shiv Sena leader, requesting anonymity.
Arvind Sawant was appointed the head of Maharashtra State Parliamentary Coordination Committee by the CM on February 14. Arvind Sawant had resigned from the Union cabinet following differences between the BJP and Shiv Sena in Maharashtra last year.
Shiv Sena MLA Ravindra Waikar was appointed chief coordinator in the Chief Minister’s office and was also allotted the rank of Cabinet minister.
Ravindra Waikar’s responsibility was to coordinate with public representatives and the CM to fast track projects and fund allocations.
Arvind Sawant, Shiv Sena leader and MP, said that “During the previous BJP rule such kind of cabinet status was given to elected representatives. It is now practicing double standards,” he added.