Shiv Sena MLAs from Raigad skipped the District Annual Plan meeting led by DCM Ajit Pawar, citing non-invitation and other engagements.

MUMBAI: Amid the ongoing rift between the Shiv Sena and NCP over the guardian ministership of Raigad and Nashik, Sena MLAs from Raigad and minister Bharat Gogawale skipped the District Annual Plan meeting for Raigad, headed by DCM Ajit Pawar.
However, NCP minister Aditi Tatkare attended the meeting. Sena MLA Mahendra Thorve said that he was not invited to the meeting and had no idea about it. Thorve mentioned that Gogawale was at an event at Raigad Fort, so he could not attend the meeting. Thorve stated that he would take up the issue with CM Devendra Fadnavis and DCM Eknath Shinde. Shinde met Ajit Pawar on Tuesday for the District Annual Plan meeting of Mumbai City and Thane districts.
“It’s a fact that we are upset. We followed alliance dharma, but the Tatkares betrayed us, so they can’t be forgiven. We expect that DCM Shinde will make the right decision,” Thorve said.
Sena MLA Mahendra Dalvi also said that he wasn’t invited to the meeting. “None of the three Sena MLAs from Raigad were invited. The District Collector was present, and so were officials. We don’t know if this meeting was official or unofficial. We have been insulted by not being invited. We don’t know what they want to achieve with this,” Dalvi said.
Officials stated that after District Planning Committee (DPC) meetings are held in various districts, the finance minister holds a District Annual Plan meeting to review and approve funds that can be allocated in the state budget. So far, with no guardian ministers in Raigad and Nashik, DPC meetings of these districts haven’t been held. “If DPC meetings are not held, then the District Annual Plan is taken, and the divisional commissioners and elected representatives can be present, and the meeting can be conducted. This seems to have been the case with Raigad and Nashik. DPC meetings are held in the respective districts, while District Annual Plan meetings are held in Mantralaya,” said an official.
Shinde said that the dispute between the guardian ministers would be resolved soon.
Ever since Tatkare was appointed guardian minister for Raigad, Gogawale, who is also a cabinet minister, and two other legislators, Mahendra Thorve and Mahendra Dalvi, have condemned her appointment. Shinde later took up the matter with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who was in Davos, and got her appointment stayed.