BJP-Sena turf war escalates: MoS Misal, minister Shirsat clash over authority; Fadnavis steps in
Devendra Fadnavis
on Sunday intervened in a growing dispute between social justice minister Sanjay Shirsat of the
Shiv Sena
and minister of state Madhuri Misal of the
BJP
, urging both leaders to resolve their differences internally.
'Nobody should create this letter war. Ministers should speak among themselves. If they have some difficulties, they should come and tell me, so that we can resolve them,' Fadnavis said in Nagpur, addressing reporters.
The spat began after Shirsat objected to Misal convening a meeting with department officials without his prior approval. He claimed Misal had no authority to hold the meeting or issue instructions to officials.
In response, Misal asserted she was fully within her rights as a minister of state and had not issued any directives in the meeting, but added she would have, had the need arisen.
Clarifying the protocol, Fadnavis said, 'All the powers are with the minister. Whatever powers the minister gives to ministers of state are the latter's powers.' However, he also noted, 'It is wrong to assume that the minister of state does not have the power to hold meetings.
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But if there are policy decisions taken, they must be ratified by the minister.'
The exchange escalated as Misal wrote to the chief minister's office seeking clarification on her powers, while Shirsat insisted that all departmental meetings must be convened with his permission.
Earlier, revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule had said the chief minister would look into the broader issue of power-sharing between cabinet ministers and their junior counterparts.
As the power tussle simmers, Fadnavis's call for coordination appears aimed at preventing further strain within the coalition government.
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