Hours after casting their votes in the presidential election, Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and Heavy Industries Minister Praful Patel skipped a Cabinet meeting in the evening amidst unconfirmed reports that they had offered to resign from the government and will not attend office on Friday in protest against the shabby manner in which the Congress has treated its allies, including their Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
A meeting of the NCP is scheduled for Friday to decide its future course of action.
“The Congress,” NDTV quoted senior NCP sources as saying, “does not know how to run a coalition government.” The NCP apparently waited to make its displeasure known as it did not wish to cast a shadow over the presidential election.
NCP spokesman D.P. Tripathi told journalists, “For the first time in eight years, Mr. Pawar and Mr. Praful Patel did not go to the Cabinet meeting.” Asked whether the pecking order was the issue, he said Mr. Pawar had never sought any position and the “issues [for skipping the meeting] were much higher.”
The signs that a Congress-NCP rift was brewing have been there: at the first Cabinet meeting after Pranab Mukherjee’s exit, Mr. Pawar was seated next to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh but at the second meeting, it was Defence Minister A.K. Antony, who was seated next to Dr. Singh, suggesting that it was the latter who was number two. The NCP then skipped the meeting at which Hamid Ansari was declared the UPA’s vice-presidential candidate.
Congress sources, however, while agreeing that Mr. Pawar is not so concerned about being number two or seated next to Dr. Singh, say his eyes are on an impending Cabinet reshuffle. He wants his seniority to be acknowledged by Dr. Singh by giving him Home, Finance or Defence, they say.
There is a talk that Home Minister P. Chidambaram may move to the Finance Ministry and his job may be taken over by Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, a man who was once Mr. Pawar’s protégé in Maharashtra.
Keywords: Sharad Pawar, Praful Patel, NCP-Congress feud, UPA government
Powar might be dreaming of getting FM post with No.2 position, like Pranab enjoyed. NCP's pressure tactics should not be conceded,as Pawar is not from Congress, and the prerogative rest in P.M.by boycotting the cabinet meeting,NCP showed how cheap and unrealistic, they are...
At the present juncture,N.C.P can not leave U.P.A. Hope that such a wrong step will not be taken by Powar.
In present scenario, while other parties awaits, no threat to UPA.
Of course Pawar is senior but he had left congress and formed pawar Congress and then NCP. As a coalition leader, Congress has the privilege to adore such slots...
It appears to be a ruse for Sharad Pawar to claim the post of the union Finance Minister as a
matter of his right. If there is a opinion poll across the country on this ( presumed) claim he
will not get even 5% of the votes,given his dismal performance as Agriculture minister. if he
persists in his seemingly aggressive posture, Dr. Singh and UPA chairperson should not
repeat the blunder of succumbing to the pressure tactics of Mamata Bannerjee and for once
they should send a stern message to all the allies that try to blackmail the Govt.to grind their
own axes,by packing off NCP fromUPA and proceed with instituting enquiries on Sharad
Pawar on his bungling of the present portfolio held by him and Praful Patel for grounding the
civil aviation in India in all possible ways,come what may!
Pawar deserves to be tier-I minister (defence, finance, home).
He is a very good administrator and bring chaos quickly under control.
When Air India pilots strike next time around (which I think will be beofre Olympics) the Government cannot admonish or punish them as the Ministers in the Government are skipping work to protest agianst the treatment meted out ot them. Reminds me of the first Left Front Government of West Bengal, when the then Chief Minister Mr Ajoy Mukherjee went on hunger strike protesting against his own government. Democracy, you are difficult to underatand.
indians are making the biggest mistake of idolizing politicians who only care for themselves
and have long forgotten their primary duties of taking care of the people. Everyone is
expected to keep country ahead of themselves. Our parties are innumerable and compete
for petty political gains. Who cares if the person attended the cabinet meeting. The question
should be is he taking care of his ministry and the citizens involved in that segment. Name
one minister who is doing his job selflessly.
Please Email the Editor