Would ensure next Maharashtra CM is from our party: Shiv Sena
Mumbai: The Shiv Sena, which is an ally of the BJP-led Maharashtra government, has said the next chief minister of the state will be from Uddhav Thackeray's party.
The Sena made the claim in its mouthpiece 'Saamana' on Wednesday, the day when Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis attended its foundation day function here.
It said even though it has a tie-up with the BJP, the "Shiv Sena is an independent political entity".
"We have to resolve to turn the next Vidhan Sabha 'saffron' and ensure that a Shiv Sena chief minister will be seated on the dais at the party's 54th foundation day next year," the Marathi daily said.
Taking stock of its 53-year-old history, the publication said the Shiv Sena's soul is its 'movement' - be it for Hindu pride, Marathi "asmita" (identity) or rights of sons of the soil.
Terming Thackeray as his "elder brother", Fadnavis during the function on Wednesday said the BJP-Sena alliance will have a thumping victory in the coming state Assembly polls, and that the issue of who will become chief minister and who will become deputy chief minister was secondary.
Last week, when state Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar's claimed that the next chief minister would be from the BJP, Yuva Sena secretary Varun Sardesai said the post will be rotated between the two allies.
Indicating that the Sena would drive a hard bargain before agreeing for an electoral tie-up, Sardesai claimed both the parties will share the chief minister's post for 2.5 years each.
Sardesai, a cousin of Yuva Sena chief Aditya Thackeray, also tweeted that BJP president Amit Shah had "approved" the decision to have rotational chief ministership between the saffron outfits.
Another Sena leader earlier said Fadnavis declared on February 19 that both the parties would share "responsibilities" and also the number of seats for the Vidhan Sabha polls.
Interestingly, senior Sena leader Sanjay Raut said in February that the next chief minister of Maharashtra would be from his party.
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Bihar: Over 150 children fall ill after consuming 'mid-day meal' in Saharsa
Saharsa (PTI): More than 150 children were taken ill after allegedly consuming food that was part of the mid-day meal in a school in Bihar’s Saharsa district, a senior official said on Thursday.
The incident occurred at a middle school in Baluaha village of the district.
The official said that 115 children were undergoing treatment at the Sadar Hospital, while around 50 students were admitted to Mahishi Public Health Centre.
“We received information that several children fell ill after consuming the mid-day meal in Baluaha. The children were initially treated at the primary health centre, but later, many were referred to the Sadar Hospital,” Saharsa District Magistrate Deepesh Kumar told reporters.
“According to doctors, the health condition of the children has improved, but they will be kept under observation for some time. There is no need to panic. Some kids are having mild fever. They are being treated accordingly,” Kumar said.
Meanwhile, family members of some children claimed that a snake was found in the container in which cooked pulses was stored at the school.
Of the 545 students present in the school, 200 had already eaten their meals by the time the snake was spotted, and later complained of stomach ache and vomiting, they said.
Regarding the claims, the DM said food samples have been collected from the school.
“We will be able to comment on this only after the results of the tested samples arrive,” he said.
