NCP chief meets Governor amid rising tensions in State

Party claims it was courtesy visit, no politics discussed

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Monday met with Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari at Raj Bhavan on an invitation sent by the latter. The NCP claimed that no political issue was discussed and the meeting was a regular courtesy visit.

Speaking to reporters after leaving Raj Bhavan, NCP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Praful Patel said, “It was a routine meeting between them. It was not about any particular political issue.”

Call for President’s Rule

Later in the day, former chief minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Rajya Sabha MP Narayan Rane too met the Governor, demanding President’s Rule in Maharashtra. “The present government led by Uddhav Thackeray is incapable of handling the COVID-19 crisis and it has failed completely. The Governor must dissolve this government and bring in President’s Rule,” said Mr. Rane after the meeting.

Meanwhile, the timing of the meeting between the NCP chief and Mr. Koshyari holds significance as it took place against the backdrop of strained relations between the Shiv Sena, which heads the Maha Vikas Aghadi government (of which the NCP is a key constituent), and the Raj Bhavan. Mr. Pawar was the first leader from the State to openly complain about Mr. Koshyari’s intervention in the functioning of the State administration. Additionally, BJP leaders have chosen to make frequent visits to Raj Bhavan, complaining about the ruling party.

The UGC disagreement

The State government had also locked horns with Mr. Koshyari over the latter’s demand for autonomy in appointing his official staff. The General Administration Department has not sanctioned the request yet, as it has never been done anywhere in the country.

Recently, the Governor had taken a strong objection to a letter written by State Higher and Technical Education Minister Uday Samant to the University Grants Commission (UGC), recommending cancellation of final year university exams. In a letter to the CM, Mr. Koshyari said not conducting the examinations amounts to breach of UGC guidelines. He also asked Mr. Thackeray to issue suitable instructions to Mr. Samant for his unwarranted intervention.

Last week, Mr. Thackeray did not attend the scheduled review meeting of measures against COVID-19 held by the Governor. Instead, he asked Chief Secretary Ajoy Mehta to be present there as his representative.