The guardian minister’s appointment continues to be a bone of contention within the Mahayuti alliance. The Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena’s MLAs from Raigad district were absent from the district development planning committee (DPDC) meeting chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Tuesday.

Pawar, who heads finance and planning ministry, had called for the meeting. However, the rift between Sena and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) was clearly visible. Asked about absence from the crucial meet, A Shinde camp MLA from Raigad district claimed that they were neither invited nor aware of it. However, the NCP claimed that invitations were sent to all. Sena MLA Mahendra Thorve said, “We were not invited to the meeting.”