Uddhav Thackeray had contacted Fadnavis as well as me after his govt faced crisis: CM Shinde
Nashik, May 2: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday claimed that Uddhav Thackeray had reached out to him and offered the chief minister's post after his rebellion plunged the Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in the state in a crisis in 2022.
He also termed as correct the claim made by deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis that Thackeray, then chief minister, had contacted the BJP leader too and offered the top post.
The Thackeray government collapsed in June 2022 after Shinde and the majority of Shiv Sena MLAs rebelled against the party leadership.
"There is truth to the claim as they made these efforts when we decided to leave. They (Thackeray and his associates) also called me and offered the CM's post, but I had not taken the decision to be the chief minister then. We left because they had deviated from Shiv Sena supremo late Balasaheb Thackeray's ideology," Shinde told reporters here.
He was replying to a question about Fadnavis's claim that Uddhav Thackeray had offered him the chief minister's post after Shinde rebelled and the MVA government was about to fall. Thackeray had parted ways with the BJP earlier in 2019 and formed government with the NCP and Congress.
"They also made efforts in Delhi, saying the entire Shiv Sena will be with them (BJP) and asked BJP leaders not to take only some people (i.e., Shinde and his supporters) in their fold. But by then, 50 people (MLAs) were already with me. What Devendra ji has said has truth to it," Shinde said.
Asked for comment, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sachin Ahir questioned the time chosen by Shinde and Fadnavis to make these claims.
"They are making such statements after two years only to create confusion," he said.
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Schools in Mizoram's nine districts closed due to rain
Aizawl (PTI): All schools in nine districts of Mizoram remained closed on Tuesday due to heavy rain that has been lashing the northeastern state since the day before, an official said.
School Education Director Angela Zothanpuii said administrations of nine districts, including Aizawl, Kolasib, Lunglei and Mamit, announced school closure on Tuesday as a precautionary measure for students' safety.
However, schools in the southern districts of Hnahthial and Lawngtlai remained open following a slight improvement in weather conditions there, she said.
According to the India Meteorological Department, Serchhip recorded the highest rainfall at 70.5 mm in a 24-hour period, followed by Hnahthial 55 mm, Siaha 37.5 mm, and Aizawl 36 mm.
Khawzawl district reported 30 mm of rainfall, Mamit 25.9 mm, Kolasib 25 mm, Lawngtlai 17.5 mm, and Lunglei 2.2 mm during the same period, it said.
The weather department has forecast light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorm and lightning in Mizoram on Tuesday.
