In a fiery address after Sunday’s cabinet meet in Mumbai, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde threw down the gauntlet to the MVA coalition. He urged them to prove their barrage of corruption charges inside the state legislature during the budget session, rather than outside its hallowed halls.
‘Stop the drama outside and come to the assembly with facts,’ Shinde urged, criticizing the opposition’s tactics. He emphasized that only through formal legislative debate can serious issues like graft or mismanagement be addressed effectively.
On the leadership vacuum, Shinde noted no formal LoP has been appointed in either house. ‘That’s for the presiding officers to decide, not us,’ he said, casting doubt on MVA’s cohesion amid internal rivalries.
Shinde defended his government’s pro-people agenda, citing the hugely popular ‘Majhi Ladki Bahin’ initiative as proof of commitment to women’s empowerment and broader welfare. ‘Our work speaks for itself; let the house discussions reveal the truth,’ he added confidently.
He slammed Youth Congress for disrupting the AI Summit in Delhi, warning such antics harm national interests. Addressing the Mulund metro tragedy, he outlined immediate responses: engineer suspended, comprehensive safety audits mandated, Rs 5 lakh compensation per deceased family, complete treatment for victims, plus MMRDA’s extra Rs 15 lakh package.
The Deputy CM previewed an ambitious 2026-27 budget focused on growth and citizen-centric schemes. As tensions simmer, the budget session could become a battleground for Maharashtra’s political future.