Mumbai: Senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar Wednesday asked his party ministers in Maharashtra cabinet to not "bow" to alliance partner Congress and ensure speedy decision making by clearing files.
"Raise your voice in the Cabinet if files do not move in your department. Don't bow to Congress...People are supreme and work should be done at any cost...Our party needs to grow," Ajit told the 19 ministers at a party meeting here.
A minister on condition of anonymity said, "the meeting focussed on party building and other organisational matters. Ajitdada had a general discussion relating to issues in the Cabinet to be held tomorrow morning."
The minister said it was yet to be decided if such meetings will take place every week.
NCP sources had earlier said that Ajit Pawar, who quit as Deputy Chief Minister last week, will continue to chair the pre-cabinet meetings of NCP ministers.
However, state unit NCP president Madhukar Pichad denied that todays was a pre-Cabinet meeting.
"We met to discuss party affairs. There is no remote control on the party ministers," Pichad said.
The Cabinet meeting will take place tomorrow morning and will review the crop situation and monsoon in the state besides the implementation of Cabinet decisions taken in August.
It will be the first meeting without Ajit Pawar as minister and deputy chief minister. He resigned last week following allegations of corruption in the irrigation department during his tenure as minister in charge of that department.
Ajit Pawar also held portfolios of Finance and Energy before he stepped down.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, October 03, 2012, 22:36