'There are issues': Congress confirms cracks in Uddhav's MVA govt; accuses bureaucrats

Confirming the cracks within the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra, Congress leader and minister in CM Uddhav Thackeray's cabinet Ashok Chavan said that there are 'some issues' and that the party is trying to meet the CM.

While he maintained that there is 'no rift' in the MVA partners, he contradicted himself adding that everyone should be 'equal partners' in an alliance government. The Public Works Minister also added that bureaucrats are trying to cause damage to the MVA. Chavan opined that the Congress leaders are trying to meet the CM in the next two days to discuss all the issues with him in detail. 

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Rift in MVA

A rift within the Maha Vikas Aghadi government had earlier surfaced after a group of senior Congress leaders met at Sports Minister Sunil Kedar's residence on June 11. Addressing the media, Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat admitted that the Congress party had certain grievances with the ruling government. He had said that Congress should get a bigger stake in the decision-making process. Thorat mentioned that these concerns would be communicated to Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray. 

Maharashtra Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat remarked, "We have few grievances. Our demand is that we should get appropriate space in the decision-making process. We will inform the Chief Minister about it."

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'We are not the key decision-maker in Maharashtra'

Addressing a press conference on May 26, Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi distanced the Congress party from Maharashtra government's handling of the COVID-19 crisis. Maintaining that there was a difference between running and supporting a government, he observed that the Congress party was not the key decision-maker in Maharashtra unlike Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Puducherry.

Rahul Gandhi said, "I would like to make a differentiation here. We are supporting the government in Maharashtra. But we are not the key decision-maker in Maharashtra. We are the key decision-maker in Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Puducherry. So there is a difference between running a government and supporting a government." 

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