Mumbai: If the Congress hoped that tempers would cool over the weekend within estranged ally Sharad Pawar's party, that may have been wishful thinking.
In Mumbai, Mr Pawar's deputy, Praful Patel, reiterated that there is no coordination within the Congress-led coalition at the centre. "Ministers say there is no coordination in the state government. "There was a coordination committee earlier, but meetings don't take place anymore," he added.
In a letter sent to the PM on Thursday, Mr Pawar warned that his NCP may choose to opt out of the government at the centre and provide external support. He allegedly said that his party's alliance in Maharashtra with the Congress would not be disturbed. The state votes in less than two years for its new government.
Sources say that Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan may have upset NCP leaders including Mr Pawar's nephew, Ajit Pawar, by asking for a white paper to explain the accounts spent on irrigation. Ajit Pawar was Irrigation Minister till 2000 to 2009. The portfolio is now held by the NCP's Sunil Tatkare. The chief minister wants accounts for the last 10 years to be examined. The NCP wants Ajit Pawar's term exempted and has suggested the inquiry look at the last three years. The allegation is that despite over 70,000 crores being spent on dams, only 0.1% of land was added to the area under irrigation.
Mr Pawar's party is likely to decide its next step on Monday. His party has said it is constantly overlooked by the Congress in important decisions at the centre. It also said that reports that Mr pawar is upset about not being seated next to the PM at recent cabinet meets are exaggerated by the Congress
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