Rumblings in Mahayuti? Ajit Pawar exits cabinet meeting in a huff after 'heated exchange' with Maharashtra CM Shinde

(L-R) Devendra Fadnavis, Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar

Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar left a crucial cabinet meeting on Thursday within just 10 minutes after tributes were paid to Ratan Tata. As many as 38 decisions were taken after Pawar left the meeting, which comes ahead of the announcement of state elections, The Times of India reported.

However, reports now claim that the NCP leader left following a heated exchange with Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde.

Sources told CNN-News18 that the two leaders had a face off after Pawar refused to approve some of the proposals suggested by Shinde in view of the coming assembly elections in Maharashtra.

This triggered a heated exchange between Shinde and Pawar, leading to the Maharashtra deputy CM exiting the meeting in a rush, they added.

The Mahayuti government led by Shinde has been making a last-minute push to woo voters in the state ahead of the crucial elections, due by November. Several announcements have already been made in the last few Cabinet meetings, all with an eye on development.

CNN-News18 reported that Shinde's proposals faced a brickwall from Pawar, especially those concerning Baramati.

Source claimed that some of these proposals may have been forwarded by Sharad Pawar, which reportedly irked his estanged nephew Ajit who refused to clear them.

TOI reported that Ajit Pawar, who heads the finance department, has raised objections to multiple proposals moved by the cabinet in the last few weeks.

There is still no clarity whether the Maharashtra cabinet has approved the project in Baramati.

Ajit Pawar later sought to play down the incident, saying that he did not exit in a huff and took due permission from Shinde before leaving.

“I didn’t leave within just 10 minutes of the meeting starting. I left with due permission from Shinde and deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis as I had scheduled meetings in Latur’s Udgir constituency. I had a flight to catch at 1pm, hence I left the meeting,” he told News18.

He did not take any questions on his alleged disagreement with the chief minister.

Later, NCP MP Sunil Tatkare, who wasn't present at the meeting, said that there is no friction within Mahayuti, adding that nothing should me read into anyone leaving the cabinet meeting early -in case it did happen.

The reported 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.