Key Points

"Those who have been given guardian ministership of particular districts will have to travel to those districts. Once you go there, you will have to take along the local leadership of the party while interacting with people. Sometimes, ministers neglect them... everyone including me will have to rectify the mistakes. If not, you will have to vacate the chair," said Pawar.

He was speaking at the party's one-day Chintan Shivir in Nagpur.

Pawar added, "If any minister is finding works other than party important then we will ensure that the post (minister's) is vacant. We will give that to someone else."

He further stressed that ministers are required to submit information about the days to be spent in Mumbai and works to be undertaken as guardian minister in respective districts to the party's state unit chief Sunil Tatkare. He was upset after many office-bearers, including some ministers, reached late for the flag-hoisting ceremony before the beginning of the study workshop.

"Just the manner in which rules are strictly followed before the plane take-off, those will be followed in the party as well," he said. Earlier, NCP's working president Praful Patel had also slammed ministers from his own party.

"The district guardian ministers come to their respective districts for one or two hours. They should come for work and not for the tourism," he said.

The direct attack by Pawar and Patel on their own ministers has been also seen within the party as a signal to other leaders and office bearers ahead of the upcoming local and civic body elections.

"The party ministers have been given different districts than their home districts as guardian ministers. Majority of those are in under-developed Marathwada and Vidarbha. The party ministers are already upset about it and therefore seem to have chosen to not visit there often," said a senior party leader, adding that the intent behind both senior leaders' remarks was to encourage the ministers to visit more regularly.

- IANS