Maharashtra will have third Dy CM, says Sanjay Raut citing Sena rift; Samant hits back
Mumbai, Jan 24 (PTI): Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Friday took a dig at Shiv Sena chief and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and claimed a rift in the latter's party, saying Maharashtra will have a third deputy chief minister from the fold.
Talking to reporters, the Rajya Sabha MP said the activities behind the scenes were such that the state could have three deputy chief ministers in the future.
Maharashtra currently has Shinde and NCP chief Ajit Pawar as deputy chief ministers.
"No one should take Eknath Shinde seriously. He is a deputy chief minister. He was the chief minister yesterday. He will not be there tomorrow because Maharashtra is getting a third deputy chief minister from the same party. He (Shinde) should think about this," Raut said.
He further alleged that Shinde was serving the "enemies" of Maharashtra, referring to the party's ally BJP.
Raut's remarks have come days after he claimed that Industries Minister Uday Samant could split the Shinde-led Sena, as he has the support of 20 MLAs.
When Shinde was sulking over the denial of the CM post after the state elections in November last year, there were plans to introduce Samant, the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader claimed.
Samant, however, denied any difference with party chief Shinde and asserted attempts were being made to create a rift between them.
Samant said some former MLAs of the Sena UBT will join the Shinde-led Sena on February 15.
He said four MLAs and three MPs from Shiv Sena (UBT), five Congress MLAs, and 10 former legislators will join the party, he said.
Hitting back, Raut said Shiv Sena should focus on its cadre rather than poaching leaders from his party.
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No need for guv: DMK leader Kanimozhi
Chennai (PTI): Senior DMK leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi on Friday reiterated her party’s opposition to the office of the governor amid uncertainty over government formation in Tamil Nadu after a fractured election mandate.
Speaking to PTI Videos, Kanimozhi emphasised that the DMK’s demand for the abolition of the governor’s post remained unchanged, especially as questions arise over constitutional propriety during the current political transition.
"Our position that we do not need a governor at all is something the DMK has never changed at any point in time," she said.
When asked about the governor’s actions following the election results—particularly the delay in inviting the leading party to form the government—Kanimozhi pointed to what she described as the "inherent friction" between the office of the governor and the political interests of the state.
She said the current situation "raises a lot of questions" and requires introspection regarding constitutional procedures.
Kanimozhi described the election results as lacking a "clear mandate", which she identified as the primary reason for the prevailing political uncertainty in the state.
"What the people decide is supreme," she said, adding that while the mandate was not decisive, it must be respected.
The Thoothukudi MP attributed the ongoing delays and "many confusions" to the absence of a decisive majority for any single party.
She firmly dismissed rumours about the DMK potentially supporting the AIADMK from outside to help stabilise the government.
She described such reports as mere "speculation" and "rumours".
"We can’t be responding to every rumour," she said, declining to comment on the AIADMK’s claims regarding its numbers to form the government.
The political situation in Tamil Nadu remains fluid as stakeholders await the governor’s next constitutional step in an Assembly where no party has secured a clear majority.
The DMK and AIADMK—both of which suffered significant losses to the TVK—are reportedly exploring tactical manoeuvres to navigate the hung Assembly.
The TVK, with 108 seats and the support of Congress’s five MLAs, is still short of the majority mark. The DMK and AIADMK secured 59 and 47 seats, respectively.
