Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday chaired a meeting of the coordination committee of the constituents of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) at his official residence here against the backdrop of various issues including the likely election to the post of the Assembly Speaker during the upcoming monsoon session of the state legislature, sources said.
A day earlier, NCP chief Sharad Pawar had met Thackeray, who heads Shiv Sena, amid speculation in state political circles over differences in MVA allies- Sena, NCP and Congress. Sharad Pawar had on Sunday said the MVA government was running smoothly and it would complete its full five-year term.
The meeting was held on Wednesday evening against the backdrop of the Enforcement Directorate summoning former state home minister Anil Deshmukh of NCP in connection with a money laundering case and the state BJP writing to Union Home Minister Amit Shah for a CBI investigation against Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and Shiv Sena minister Anil Parab into the allegations leveled against them by dismissed Mumbai cop Sachin Waze.
The meeting was attended by Subhash Desai and Eknath Shinde (Shiv Sena), Ajit Pawar and Jayant Patil (NCP) and Ashok Chavan and Balasaheb Thorat (Congress) who are members of the committee.
According to sources, the alliance leaders also discussed the possibility of holding the election to Speaker 's post during the two-day session beginning July 5.
Simultaneously, demands are being raised from various quarters, including the BJP, to put off the elections to five Zilla Parishads scheduled to be held on July 19 against the backdrop of quashing of OBC quota in local bodies by the Supreme Court.