Stop criticising us or else you will be left with only 2 out of 20 MLAs: Shinde warns Sena (UBT)
Thane, Jan 23 (PTI): Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who heads the ruling Shiv Sena, on Thursday warned the Shiv Sena (UBT) that if it does not stop criticising his party and the Mahayuti, then the Uddhav Thackeray-led party will be left with only two MLAs out of the present 20.
He said the people of the state gave a befitting reply to the Sena (UBT) in the last year's assembly election and it was time for it to introspect.
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of his visit to 'Anand Ashram' here to pay respects to Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray on his birth anniversary and his mentor Anand Dighe, Shinde also said there was a growing demand for the Shiv Sena in other states as well.
"From day one, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), especially Sena (UBT), has been criticising me and the Mahayuti, but nothing worked and the citizens of the state gave a befitting reply to them and showed them their place," he said.
"It is high time they do some introspection and soul-searching," Shinde added.
In the state assembly polls held in November last year, the Mahayuti alliance of BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP retained power, pocketing a whopping 230 of the 288 assembly seats. The BJP won 132 seats, the Shiv Sena 57 and the NCP got 41 seats.
In the MVA, the Shiv Sena (UBT) won 20 seats, the Congress 16 and the NCP (SP) 10 seats.
"A number of workers and leaders from the opposition parties, especially Sena (UBT), have joined our Shiv Sena in the recent period and this influx will continue," he said.
"Some workers and leaders from other states also joined the Shiv Sena and there is a growing demand for Shiv Sena in some other states. The Shiv Sena is growing...It will open branches in other states in the coming days," he said.
Shinde said the birth anniversary of Bal Thackeray was being celebrated in a grand manner this year just like in the past. "We will celebrate his birth centenary next year," he said.
"The Shiv Sena has never compromised on the principles of Balasaheb Thackeray and the teachings of Anand Dighe, and will never compromise. That is why workers prefer the Shiv Sena," he said.
He spoke about the programmes implemented by the state government when he was the chief minister.
The youth wing of the Shiv Sena has planned a number of programmes in the coming days in colleges and it will also reach each and every household in the state to tell the people of the work done by the Mahayuti government, he said.
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Maharashtra: All files to be vetted by Shinde before being sent to CM Fadnavis
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has ordered that all files will now go through Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde before being presented to CM Devendra Fadnavis for approval.
The moves seeks to revive an arrangement which existed in 2023 of files being vetted by the then two deputy CMs --Ajit Pawar and Fadnavis -- before being forwarded to then CM Shinde.
State Chief Secretary Sujata Saunik issued an order to this effect on March 18. "Since July 26, 2023, files were moved from Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who holds the finance department, to (then) Deputy CM Fadnavis, who held the home, law and judiciary departments before being sent to (then) CM Shinde for approval," as per the order.
This arrangement was made after Pawar, who was then leader of opposition in the state assembly, joined the Shinde-led government along with a several NCP MLAs on July 2, 2023.
Now, with Fadnavis taking charge as chief minister, following the victory of the Mahayuti (comprising BJP, Shinde's Shiv Sena and Pawar-led NCP) in the state polls last year, the arrangement has been changed.
All files will be routed from Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, who continues to hold the finance department, to Eknath Shinde, who is also the deputy CM and holds housing and urban development portfolios.
The files will be sent to Fadnavis after Shinde's approval, as per the latest order.
Since the Mahayuti 2.0 took over, there has been speculation of a "cold war" between Shinde and Fadnavis. Both the leaders have strongly denied the speculation.
There have been disagreements over the guardian minister posts of some districts. Fadnavis had to revoke his decision on the appointment of guardian ministers of Nashik and Raigad districts after objections from Shinde.
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