In a setback to the Shiv Sena-led Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government, Sena minister Abdul Sattar reportedly resigned from his post on Saturday after being overlooked for a Cabinet rank, sources said.
Sattar, an MLA from Sillod in Aurangabad district had switched over from the Congress to the Sena before Assembly elections. People familiar with the developments said he was unhappy with the party leadership for being made minister of state and not given a cabinet berth.
There was no confirmation from either the chief minister’s office or the Raj Bhawan of the minister’s resignation. Sattar himself hasn’t spoken yet.
Though senior Shiv Sena leaders said that they are not aware if Sattar has resigned, the party is attempting to pacify him. Senior Sena functionary Anil Desai said that Sattar has not resigned. Meanwhile, Sena’s Arjun Khotkar has been sent on behalf of the party to meet Sattar and discuss the issue. Khotkar met Sattar at a hotel in Aurangabad Saturday morning but did not comment on the matter before leaving.
Sattar’s son, Sameer said, “I am not aware if he has resigned. Only he will be able to speak on the issue.”
Discontentment and resentment surfaced within the Sena after many senior party leaders were overlooked in the cabinet expansion held on December 30. Sattar who had been a cabinet minister in the earlier Congress-NCP governments had expected to be given a cabinet berth from the Sena quota this time as well. Many Sena leaders are unhappy after Sena chief and Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray gave a cabinet berth and two junior minister posts to three independent MLAs supporting the government.