MUMBAI: NCP chief Sharad Pawar met Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday and advised him to keep allies in the loop while taking major decisions.
Thackeray’s Shiv Sena is a part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance in Maharashtra with the NCP and Congress. Pawar also met Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut earlier in the day.
According to sources, Pawar had contacted Thackeray on Thursday and expressed his displeasure over the CM’s decision to extend lockdown.
Thackeray had not consulted with NCP and Congress leaders before extending the lockdown, enforced due to check the Covid pandemic, till July 31.
“The NCP and Congress leaders had no clue that the lockdown will be extended. Pawar advised Thackeray that he should consult the allies while taking any major decisions or it will send the wrong signal,” a senior NCP leader said on condition of anonymity.
“Pawar also told that chief minister should consult more to his fellow ministers than the babus,” he added.
Thackeray agreed to have more co-ordination among the allies in the future. Meanwhile, Congress leader and former CM Prithviraj Chavan took an indirect shot at Pawar, saying it was up to the chief minister on whether to listen to elected representatives and ministers or the bureaucrats.
Chavan added said that people should not try to run the government from the backseat.
“It is the right of the chief minister to run the government,” he added.