'All is well': Ajit Pawar denies rift rumours, reveals why he left Maharashtra cabinet meeting early

Asked about the meeting during a press conference in Mumbai, Pawar said that "all is well" within the Mahayuti.

Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Friday dismissed speculations over his decision to leave a crucial cabinet meeting on October 10 after just 10 minutes.

The NCP leader's brief attendance at the meeting, held in Mumbai on Thursday, raised eyebrows and sparked rumours of a dispute with CM Eknath Shinde.

Numerous financially significant decisions were taken in the meeting during his absence.

Later, sources told CNN-News18 that Ajit Pawar left the meeting in a huff following a heat exchange with the chief minister.

Asked about the meeting during a press conference in Mumbai, Pawar said that "all is well" within the Mahayuti, the ruling alliance which comprises NCP, BJP and Shinde-led Shiv Sena.

"I had to attend a scheduled programme ... all the cabinet decisions had my approval," Pawar said, clarifying why he left the meeting early.

The state cabinet can overrule objections of any department, Pawar said, when asked about the negative remarks by the finance department headed by him on populist schemes announced by the state government ahead of the assembly elections, likely to be announced in less than a week.

Earlier too, Ajit Pawar sought to play down the incident, saying that he took due permission from Shinde before leaving.

Sources had said that Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde clashed over some of the proposals moved by the chief minister in view of the coming Maharashtra elections.

They told CNN-News18 that Pawar got irked at some fo the proposals concerning his stronghold Baramati due to the possibility that they originated from Sharad Pawar’s office.

The alleged incident comes at a time when BJP's alliance with Ajit Pawar-led NCP has come under serious scrutiny in Maharashtra, especially in the wake of the Lok Sabha elections.

Several leaders, including some from RSS, blamed BJP's tie up with Ajit for the Mahayuti's lacklustre performance in the state.

Deputy CM and BJP leader Fadnavis recently said that the "low vote transfer" from NCP was a key reason for his party’s drop in performance in the general election.

The alliance managed to win just 17 of the 48 Lok Sabha seats, with BJP winning 9, Shiv Sena 7 and Ajit Pawar's NCP securing just 1.

(With inputs from PTI)