Ashok Chavan frowns upon Sena edit critical of old guards

Congress leader Ashok Chavan on Monday night expressed his displeasure over the editorial in Shiv Sena mouthpiece "Saamana" which blamed "old guards" for not giving up their claims on ministerial berths to clear way for young leaders.

The write-up named Ashok Chavan and Prithviraj Chavan--both former chief ministers of the Congress--and Ajit Pawar of the NCP who all are being seen as contenders for Cabinet berths in the second round of expansion of the new government, which came to power on November 28.

The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government headed by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray comprises his party Shiv Sena, the Congress and the NCP.

"All the three parties have reached an understanding on the agenda that the BJP should be kept out of power in the state. I feel that there was no need to use such language," Chavan told reporters outside Vidhan Bhavan here when asked about the tone of the editorial.

The edit also underscored the need for coming out of the psyche that one should get only a lucrative portfolio in the government "to serve the state or country", and questioned the intention of such leaders.

Chavan said, "There is no question of getting any plum portfolios. What is important for us is working for the people and solving their issues".

As per the portfolio-sharing arrangement decided by the Sena and its allies NCP and Congress, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party has got home, urban development, forest, environment, agriculture, industries and higher and technical education, and parliamentary affairs departments.

The NCP has been allocated finance and planning, housing, public health, irrigation, rural development and social justice departments.

Besides, the Congress has been given revenue, energy, PWD, tribal welfare, women and child welfare, textile, relief and rehabilitation.