In a first, Sena minister, office-bearer lock horns

For the first time, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray witnessed a verbal fight between his minister and a party office-bearer.

Gulabrao Patil, the minister of state for agriculture and Chandrakant Patil, district president from his home town, Jalgaon, were engaged in a heated exchange of words over the minister’s style of working.

Thackeray intervened to pacify the leaders and instructed all the office-bearers to focus on 2019 Assembly polls.

Thackeray made it clear to his party men that Bharatiya Janata Party is their number one enemy.

Thackeray had called the meeting of office bearers including shakha pramukhs (unit in-charge) and ministers at Shiv Sena Bhavan, Dadar, on Friday.

The office bearers were given an opportunity to present status of party in their respective districts. Chandrakant Patil, Jalgaon district president, complained of his minister Gulabrao Patil. He alleged that Patil is ignoring the organisational activities, unresponsive to Shiv sainiks (party workers) and he does not take the issues of party workers to the departments in Mantralaya.

“You (district president) are not responsible for the decisions taken by us and the issues we have resolved till date. You are not aware of it so stop blaming me. Being a minister I submit my report card to the party chief, I am responsible to him,” Patil roared in the presence of Uddhav Thackeray.

“When BJP has set their target for 2019 Assembly polls, it is very clear that they will go alone. In such a situation, we have to focus on those elections, Thackeray said.

Gulabrao Patil, minister of state for agriculture and Chandrakant Patil, district president from his home town, Jalgaon, were engaged in a heated exchange of words over the minister’s style of working

He further added, “Be very clear that BJP is our number one enemy and this is the time to go to the people and strengthen our constituencies.”

Meanwhile, a senior office-bearer said that the party is more important than any leader. “It is Balasaheb Thackeray’s Sena and the district president, shakha pramukhs have been given more importance than any minister or leader of the party,” said the office-bearer.

He further said, “The district president has the final say during selection of candidates that the party will field. This was also during Balasaheb’s regime. Now the situation looks to have changed. As the Sena is in power, ministers are ignoring the organisation and are becoming more powerful than the party.”