DCM Ajit Pawar to chair NCP’s pre-cabinet meeting
Nationalist Congress Party has launched its pre-cabinet meeting exercise to decide the party’s strategy on the cabinet agenda. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar will chair the meeting slated for Wednesday.
NCP had launched precabinet meeting exercise when it was Congress party’s ruling ally between 1999 and 2014 in the state. Former deputy chief minister Chhagan Bhujbal, RR Patil, Vijaysinh Mohite Patil and Ajit Pawar used to chair those meetings. NCP, which had fought the 1999 assembly election against Congress, had joined hands with the latter to form the government and had succeeded to get key portfolios in the Congress-led government.
NCP minister recalled that the pre-cabinet meetings used to be stormy as the ministers used to threadbare discuss the proposals by the party minister and also by Congress ministers.
“At few meetings, NCP and Congress had differed but later arrived at an understanding after the thorough debate. The pre-cabinet meeting is essential so that every minister can argue his or her case in favour or against and thereafter party’s view is finalised,’’ senior minister told FPJ.
Another minister said a pre-cabinet meeting is usually held to decide the party’s stance on the various issues to be discussed in the cabinet.
“The agenda for Wednesday’s cabinet meeting include preset state of prices of essential commodities, development scheme for Malegaon in Washim district, World Bank assisted project to transform agriculture and rural areas and returning to one ward one corporator system. NCP will prepare its view and argue during the cabinet meeting chaired by CM Uddhav Thackeray,’’ he informed.