Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Friday claimed that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has been asked to resign and there could be some changes in the government.
Speaking to reporters, he said, “I have heard that Chief Minister (Eknath Shinde) has been asked to resign and there might be some change (in the government).”
His statement comes days after Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar, nephew of Sharad Pawar, led a rebellion, leaving a vertical split in the party, and joined the Maharashtra government. He was sworn-in as the deputy Chief Minister, thereby sharing the position with BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis.
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Chief Minister on Friday asserted that Ajit Pawar’s entry into the Maharashtra government posed no threat to him, reported PTI.
Parties split when hard-working workers are neglected, he said while commenting on Ajit Pawar’s rebellion against his uncle and NCP chief Sharad Pawar, pointing out to the 1978 rebellion of Sharad Pawar against then chief minister Vasantdada Patil (in 1978) and then Congress chief Sonia Gandhi (in 1999).
“Such things happen when meritorious party workers are sidelined. Ajit Pawar has himself said that it was Sharad Pawar who had wanted an alliance with the BJP in the past….in 2017, 2019 but did a U-turn later,” Shinde told DD News in an interview.
On reports of being replaced as the CM, Shinde said that these are “baseless rumours” and does not cause him “any tension”. He added that the higher-ups will take appropriate decision.
He added that Ajit Pawar joined the government because of the development track record of his government.
“Modi and (Amit) Shah have made me chief minister, and now with Ajit Pawar joining the government, we have become stronger….lot of work has been done in the constituencies of our MLAs in the last one year,” he said.