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Tag: Devendra Fadnavis

  • Shinde under fire for inducting tainted MLAs Sanjay Rathod and Abdul Sattar into Cabinet

    By Express News Service

    MUMBAI: The Opposition parties in Maharashtra on Tuesday slammed CM Eknath Shinde and BJP for inducting controversial rebel Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Rathod and Abdul Sattar as Cabinet ministers.  

    Sanjay Rathod’s name had surfaced in TikTok star Pooja Chavan suicide case. Chavan, before committing suicide at her Pune residence, had allegedly spoken with Sanjay Rathod. It was alleged that Rathod forced her to commit suicide. Following the controversy, Rathod was forced to resign from Uddhav Thackeray Cabinet.

    Abdul Sattar, another tainted Sena MLA, was also sworn in as Cabinet minister. He was mired into controversy when the names of his two daughters had surfaced in teachers eligibility test (TET) scam. It was alleged that Sattar’s children manipulated the TET exam results to inflate their marks. After the probe, 7,800 candidates of TET exam were disqualified because all of them found inflating their marks. Sattar, however, denied allegations and demanded a high level probe. He said there was a deliberate attempt to malign him ahead of the Cabinet expansion.

    CM Eknath Shinde defended his decision of inducting Sanjay Rathod in his Cabinet saying that the police have given him clean chit in Pooja Chavan suicide case. He further said that if some one still has issue with Rathod, then they will hear him out as well.

    ALSO READ | No women in 20-member cabinet as Maharashtra CM Shinde expands 41-day-old ministry

    Sources said that Shinde has decided to defend Rathod and Sattar. “There are some ministers who are facing serious charges, still Eknath Shinde decided to induct them. The CM does not care about the allegations against his ministers. What matters for him is loyalty as these tainted MLAs stood by him. Therefore, he wants to reward them by giving ministerial posts,” he added requesting anonymity.

    Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said BJP leader Kirit Somaiya had demanded the arrest of Sanjay Rathod when his name surfaced in Pooja Chavan suicide case. “Now, BJP has welcomed Rathod in new Shinde-Fadnavis government,” she added.

    Pooja Chavan, who was hailed from Parli Vaijnath in Beed district, had gone to Pune a week before her death. She was pursuing an English-speaking course and was residing with two youths. Her video went viral on TikTok and social media after which she allegedly committed suicide by jumping off the Heaven Park building in the Wanawadi area on February 8. It was alleged she was in relation with Sanjay Rathod and skirmishes between them resulted in suicide of Pooja Chavan. There were several viral audio conversations between Pooja and Sanjay Rathod.

    Meanwhile, Chitra Wagh, vice president of BJP (Maharashtra unit), said it is very unfortunate that Sanjay Rathod, who was responsible for the death of Pooja Chavan, was sworn in as a minister. “Sanjay Rathod has inducted as a minister in the new government, but I will continue my fight against him. I have full faith on judiciary. We will fight … and win,” Chitra Wagh tweeted.

    Leader of Opposition and senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar said while inducting some MLAs as ministers, some name should have been dropped.

    MUMBAI: The Opposition parties in Maharashtra on Tuesday slammed CM Eknath Shinde and BJP for inducting controversial rebel Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Rathod and Abdul Sattar as Cabinet ministers.  

    Sanjay Rathod’s name had surfaced in TikTok star Pooja Chavan suicide case. Chavan, before committing suicide at her Pune residence, had allegedly spoken with Sanjay Rathod. It was alleged that Rathod forced her to commit suicide. Following the controversy, Rathod was forced to resign from Uddhav Thackeray Cabinet.

    Abdul Sattar, another tainted Sena MLA, was also sworn in as Cabinet minister. He was mired into controversy when the names of his two daughters had surfaced in teachers eligibility test (TET) scam. It was alleged that Sattar’s children manipulated the TET exam results to inflate their marks. After the probe, 7,800 candidates of TET exam were disqualified because all of them found inflating their marks. Sattar, however, denied allegations and demanded a high level probe. He said there was a deliberate attempt to malign him ahead of the Cabinet expansion.

    CM Eknath Shinde defended his decision of inducting Sanjay Rathod in his Cabinet saying that the police have given him clean chit in Pooja Chavan suicide case. He further said that if some one still has issue with Rathod, then they will hear him out as well.

    ALSO READ | No women in 20-member cabinet as Maharashtra CM Shinde expands 41-day-old ministry

    Sources said that Shinde has decided to defend Rathod and Sattar. “There are some ministers who are facing serious charges, still Eknath Shinde decided to induct them. The CM does not care about the allegations against his ministers. What matters for him is loyalty as these tainted MLAs stood by him. Therefore, he wants to reward them by giving ministerial posts,” he added requesting anonymity.

    Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said BJP leader Kirit Somaiya had demanded the arrest of Sanjay Rathod when his name surfaced in Pooja Chavan suicide case. “Now, BJP has welcomed Rathod in new Shinde-Fadnavis government,” she added.

    Pooja Chavan, who was hailed from Parli Vaijnath in Beed district, had gone to Pune a week before her death. She was pursuing an English-speaking course and was residing with two youths. Her video went viral on TikTok and social media after which she allegedly committed suicide by jumping off the Heaven Park building in the Wanawadi area on February 8. It was alleged she was in relation with Sanjay Rathod and skirmishes between them resulted in suicide of Pooja Chavan. There were several viral audio conversations between Pooja and Sanjay Rathod.

    Meanwhile, Chitra Wagh, vice president of BJP (Maharashtra unit), said it is very unfortunate that Sanjay Rathod, who was responsible for the death of Pooja Chavan, was sworn in as a minister. “Sanjay Rathod has inducted as a minister in the new government, but I will continue my fight against him. I have full faith on judiciary. We will fight … and win,” Chitra Wagh tweeted.

    Leader of Opposition and senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar said while inducting some MLAs as ministers, some name should have been dropped.

  • Shinde to expand Maharashtra cabinet on August 9; rebel MLAs may take oath

    Express News Service

    MUMBAI: The much-delayed Maharashtra cabinet expansion is finally scheduled for Tuesday.

    Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday said that the name of ministers to be sworn in would be announced on Tuesday. Shinde said that he had called a meeting of his loyalist MLAs to finalise the names.

    Since the formation of the new government in Maharashtra, there has been no full-fledged cabinet in the last 40 days in the state. According to sources, the cabinet expansion will be carried out in two phases. In the first phase, eight from BJP will take oath, while seven from Shinde camp will be sworn in as ministers.

    “In the second phase, the remaining ministers will be sworn in. In Maharashtra, as per the Assembly strength, maximum 42 members from both BJP and Shinde camp can be sworn in as ministers. The BJP has 105 MLAs, while Shinde has 40. Shinde promised his loyalists to make ministers in the new government. So, it’s a tight rope walk for him,” sources said.

    The eight ministers from the Shiv Sena had joined the Shinde camp. All of them are likely to be re-inducted as ministers, except Abdul Sattar, whose name surfaced in the Teachers’ Eligibility Test (TET) scam on Monday.

    The BJP is likely to get crucial home and finance portfolios. Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis is likely to keep the home ministry with him.

    “The BJP has decided to name some new faces along with senior leaders. Besides, the BJP has also decided to induct MLAs who helped the party to expand its base against Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray,” said sources.

    BJP leader Ashish Shelar is unlikely to be inducted into the cabinet. “Shelar is likely to be given party responsibility as president of Maharashtra BJP unit. Shelar is close to Union minister Amit Shah. The BJP wants to promote the Maratha as its face in Maharashtra ahead of upcoming elections. Shelar has also been given the responsibility of BMC elections,” sources said.

    The monsoon session of Maharashtra Assembly is scheduled from August 10-18. 

    Shinde’s road to become CM

    June 21: Eknath Shinde along with 12 rebel Shiv Sena MLAs left Thane for Surat late night; they stayed at Le Meridian hotel
    June 22: Shinde and 40 rebel Sena MLAs left Surat for Guwahati; they stayed at Radisson Blue hotel
    June 29: Uddhav Thackeray resigned as CM after court refused to intervene the floor test called by Maharashtra Governor
    June 30: Shinde with rebel 40 Sena MLAs left Guwahati for Goa; Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis sworn as chief minister and deputy chief minister, respectively
    July 3: BJP MLA Rahul Narvekar elected as Speaker of Maharashtra Assembly
    July 4: Shinde proves majority on the floor of the House; He got 164 votes in the 288-member House, while Opposition had 99 votes; 11 Congress MLAs skipped the floor tests
    July 8: Shinde takes charge

    MUMBAI: The much-delayed Maharashtra cabinet expansion is finally scheduled for Tuesday.

    Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday said that the name of ministers to be sworn in would be announced on Tuesday. Shinde said that he had called a meeting of his loyalist MLAs to finalise the names.

    Since the formation of the new government in Maharashtra, there has been no full-fledged cabinet in the last 40 days in the state. According to sources, the cabinet expansion will be carried out in two phases. In the first phase, eight from BJP will take oath, while seven from Shinde camp will be sworn in as ministers.

    “In the second phase, the remaining ministers will be sworn in. In Maharashtra, as per the Assembly strength, maximum 42 members from both BJP and Shinde camp can be sworn in as ministers. The BJP has 105 MLAs, while Shinde has 40. Shinde promised his loyalists to make ministers in the new government. So, it’s a tight rope walk for him,” sources said.

    The eight ministers from the Shiv Sena had joined the Shinde camp. All of them are likely to be re-inducted as ministers, except Abdul Sattar, whose name surfaced in the Teachers’ Eligibility Test (TET) scam on Monday.

    The BJP is likely to get crucial home and finance portfolios. Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis is likely to keep the home ministry with him.

    “The BJP has decided to name some new faces along with senior leaders. Besides, the BJP has also decided to induct MLAs who helped the party to expand its base against Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray,” said sources.

    BJP leader Ashish Shelar is unlikely to be inducted into the cabinet. “Shelar is likely to be given party responsibility as president of Maharashtra BJP unit. Shelar is close to Union minister Amit Shah. The BJP wants to promote the Maratha as its face in Maharashtra ahead of upcoming elections. Shelar has also been given the responsibility of BMC elections,” sources said.

    The monsoon session of Maharashtra Assembly is scheduled from August 10-18. 

    Shinde’s road to become CM

    June 21: Eknath Shinde along with 12 rebel Shiv Sena MLAs left Thane for Surat late night; they stayed at Le Meridian hotel
    June 22: Shinde and 40 rebel Sena MLAs left Surat for Guwahati; they stayed at Radisson Blue hotel
    June 29: Uddhav Thackeray resigned as CM after court refused to intervene the floor test called by Maharashtra Governor
    June 30: Shinde with rebel 40 Sena MLAs left Guwahati for Goa; Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis sworn as chief minister and deputy chief minister, respectively
    July 3: BJP MLA Rahul Narvekar elected as Speaker of Maharashtra Assembly
    July 4: Shinde proves majority on the floor of the House; He got 164 votes in the 288-member House, while Opposition had 99 votes; 11 Congress MLAs skipped the floor tests
    July 8: Shinde takes charge

  • Shinde’s demand and BJP’s Gujarat pattern causing delay in Maharashtra cabinet expansion

    Express News Service

    MUMBAI: The deadlock continues over cabinet expansion in Maharashtra. Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde abruptly cancelled his scheduled Delhi visit on Wednesday evening.

    Shinde was expected to meet the top leadership of the BJP to discuss the cabinet expansion.

    According to sources, Shinde made several visits to Delhi and met the top leadership of the BJP, but there is an icebreaker between the two partners. Shinde might fly on Thursday to Delhi once he confirms the appointment of the BJP leadership in Delhi.

    “The problem is not only with Shinde’s demand but BJP is also having issues regarding the expansion of the cabinet, which is causing a delay in the expansion,” said a senior BJP leader who requested anonymity. 

    “After getting the Chief Minister post, Shinde wants to keep the key portfolios like Home and Finance with him so that he can give justice to his 41 rebelled Shiv Sena MLAs. Shinde had promised everyone either making cabinet minister or minister for the state. It will be difficult for him to fulfil this given promise, therefore if finance is with him, then at least he can impart sufficient funds to his camp MLAs and Lok Sabha MPs. And, with the home ministry, he can control the state and break the Sena further. The 12 Shiv Sena Lok Sabha MPs who joined Shinde also expecting some good pie in this new alliance. So, Shinde is surrounded by several issues and demands of his own people.”

    Source added, Shinde is a hard bargainer while BJP is also a tough bargainer. “BJP leadership is in no mood to sacrifice further after giving the Chief Minister post to Shinde, while Shinde will continue to remain on the pitch to get some or other things. This tough bargaining by both sides is causing an indefinite delay in the cabinet expansion. Shinde met the BJP’s leadership with the list but leadership is no more entertaining him now. They are not also giving him appointments. In his last Delhi visit, he spent his entire day at Maharashtra Sadan to fix the appointment with top BJP leaders but failed and returned back to Maharashtra without any concrete meeting,” said sources requesting anonymity.

    Deepak Kesarkar, Shinde camp spokesperson said that the media should not worry about the delay in cabinet expansions. He said there is a government in place and taking several decisions. “We are confident that there will be soon cabinet expansion in Maharashtra. A month’s delay is not much delay. It has happened earlier also. Uddhav Thackerays’ government had also delayed cabinet expansion despite 2/3 majority on his side,” he explained. 

    Sources in BJP said that the top leaders of Delhi leadership also want to give a second shock to Maharashtra BJP by giving all fresh faces like Gujarat patterns’ cabinet expansion. “Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis doing hard lobbying for his people while the BJP state president Chandrakant Patil, Ashish Shelar, Pankaja Munde and Vinod Tawade are also doing their own lobbying. This has made it difficult to come out with same-page solutions. The BJP not only struggling to resolve Shindes’ demands but within the party demand is also a major issue. All these things are incorporated for the delay in cabinet expansion,” said a BJP leader requesting anonymity.

    MUMBAI: The deadlock continues over cabinet expansion in Maharashtra. Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde abruptly cancelled his scheduled Delhi visit on Wednesday evening.

    Shinde was expected to meet the top leadership of the BJP to discuss the cabinet expansion.

    According to sources, Shinde made several visits to Delhi and met the top leadership of the BJP, but there is an icebreaker between the two partners. Shinde might fly on Thursday to Delhi once he confirms the appointment of the BJP leadership in Delhi.

    “The problem is not only with Shinde’s demand but BJP is also having issues regarding the expansion of the cabinet, which is causing a delay in the expansion,” said a senior BJP leader who requested anonymity. 

    “After getting the Chief Minister post, Shinde wants to keep the key portfolios like Home and Finance with him so that he can give justice to his 41 rebelled Shiv Sena MLAs. Shinde had promised everyone either making cabinet minister or minister for the state. It will be difficult for him to fulfil this given promise, therefore if finance is with him, then at least he can impart sufficient funds to his camp MLAs and Lok Sabha MPs. And, with the home ministry, he can control the state and break the Sena further. The 12 Shiv Sena Lok Sabha MPs who joined Shinde also expecting some good pie in this new alliance. So, Shinde is surrounded by several issues and demands of his own people.”

    Source added, Shinde is a hard bargainer while BJP is also a tough bargainer. “BJP leadership is in no mood to sacrifice further after giving the Chief Minister post to Shinde, while Shinde will continue to remain on the pitch to get some or other things. This tough bargaining by both sides is causing an indefinite delay in the cabinet expansion. Shinde met the BJP’s leadership with the list but leadership is no more entertaining him now. They are not also giving him appointments. In his last Delhi visit, he spent his entire day at Maharashtra Sadan to fix the appointment with top BJP leaders but failed and returned back to Maharashtra without any concrete meeting,” said sources requesting anonymity.

    Deepak Kesarkar, Shinde camp spokesperson said that the media should not worry about the delay in cabinet expansions. He said there is a government in place and taking several decisions. “We are confident that there will be soon cabinet expansion in Maharashtra. A month’s delay is not much delay. It has happened earlier also. Uddhav Thackerays’ government had also delayed cabinet expansion despite 2/3 majority on his side,” he explained. 

    Sources in BJP said that the top leaders of Delhi leadership also want to give a second shock to Maharashtra BJP by giving all fresh faces like Gujarat patterns’ cabinet expansion. “Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis doing hard lobbying for his people while the BJP state president Chandrakant Patil, Ashish Shelar, Pankaja Munde and Vinod Tawade are also doing their own lobbying. This has made it difficult to come out with same-page solutions. The BJP not only struggling to resolve Shindes’ demands but within the party demand is also a major issue. All these things are incorporated for the delay in cabinet expansion,” said a BJP leader requesting anonymity.

  • Elections can be held with OBC quota now, says Maha DyCM Fadnavis after SC ruling

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Elections to local governing bodies can be held now with OBC quota in Maharashtra with the Supreme Court giving its nod on Wednesday, deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said here.

    The state government, however, has requested the State Election Commission (SEC) not to schedule elections immediately as many parts of Maharashtra have been affected by heavy rains, the BJP leader told reporters.

    Earlier, the apex court had set aside the quota for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in local elections in Maharashtra for lack of empirical data about their populations.

    “The Supreme Court today accepted the state backward class commission’s report for OBC reservation. It has given permission to allot OBC reservations as per the commission’s report,” Fadnavis claimed.

    But the government has requested the SEC not to announce fresh dates for elections immediately as many areas are severely affected by heavy rains, he added.

    Fadnavis, who became deputy CM after BJP supported rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde for the chief minister’s post last month, accused the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government of wasting time “pointing fingers at the Union government” over the issue.

    “When I said that the backward class commission’s report can be finalised (and submitted to the court), I was ridiculed.

    But our government has given answer to the critics through our action,” Fadnavis said.

    Earlier, the SEC had scheduled elections to 92 municipal councils and four nagar panchayats on August 18, but they were postponed in view of the hearing in the SC on Wednesday.

    When contacted, an official of the State Election Commission said they were waiting for the court’s written order.

    Fadnavis, meanwhile, also said that some people in the MVA government, such as NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal, facilitated the commission’s work.

    The Supreme Court has not solved the problem completely for three of four districts and “we will have to take additional decisions to ensure proper OBC reservation based on population in these districts,” he said.

    Shiv Sena president and former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray said he was happy with the apex court’s decision.

    “Everybody came together and made efforts for restoring the reservation,” he added.

    Leader of Opposition in the Assembly and NCP leader Ajit Pawar claimed that OBC reservation was restored chiefly because the backward class commission was formed by the then MVA government (consisting of NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena).

    “It is the victory of honest efforts of the MVA to safeguard OBC quota.

    We succeeded in securing this victory with the support of then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and other cabinet colleagues,” Pawar said.

    Responding to Pawar’s comment, Fadnavis noted that the elections to some local bodies were held without OBC quota, and asked whether “the opposition is ready to take credit for their missteps.

    “The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Maharashtra SEC and state authorities to ensure the process for local bodies’ election is commenced within two weeks.

    MUMBAI: Elections to local governing bodies can be held now with OBC quota in Maharashtra with the Supreme Court giving its nod on Wednesday, deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said here.

    The state government, however, has requested the State Election Commission (SEC) not to schedule elections immediately as many parts of Maharashtra have been affected by heavy rains, the BJP leader told reporters.

    Earlier, the apex court had set aside the quota for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in local elections in Maharashtra for lack of empirical data about their populations.

    “The Supreme Court today accepted the state backward class commission’s report for OBC reservation. It has given permission to allot OBC reservations as per the commission’s report,” Fadnavis claimed.

    But the government has requested the SEC not to announce fresh dates for elections immediately as many areas are severely affected by heavy rains, he added.

    Fadnavis, who became deputy CM after BJP supported rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde for the chief minister’s post last month, accused the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government of wasting time “pointing fingers at the Union government” over the issue.

    “When I said that the backward class commission’s report can be finalised (and submitted to the court), I was ridiculed.

    But our government has given answer to the critics through our action,” Fadnavis said.

    Earlier, the SEC had scheduled elections to 92 municipal councils and four nagar panchayats on August 18, but they were postponed in view of the hearing in the SC on Wednesday.

    When contacted, an official of the State Election Commission said they were waiting for the court’s written order.

    Fadnavis, meanwhile, also said that some people in the MVA government, such as NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal, facilitated the commission’s work.

    The Supreme Court has not solved the problem completely for three of four districts and “we will have to take additional decisions to ensure proper OBC reservation based on population in these districts,” he said.

    Shiv Sena president and former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray said he was happy with the apex court’s decision.

    “Everybody came together and made efforts for restoring the reservation,” he added.

    Leader of Opposition in the Assembly and NCP leader Ajit Pawar claimed that OBC reservation was restored chiefly because the backward class commission was formed by the then MVA government (consisting of NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena).

    “It is the victory of honest efforts of the MVA to safeguard OBC quota.

    We succeeded in securing this victory with the support of then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and other cabinet colleagues,” Pawar said.

    Responding to Pawar’s comment, Fadnavis noted that the elections to some local bodies were held without OBC quota, and asked whether “the opposition is ready to take credit for their missteps.

    “The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Maharashtra SEC and state authorities to ensure the process for local bodies’ election is commenced within two weeks.

  • Maharashtra: Eknath Shinde cabinet approves renaming of Aurangabad, Osmanabad cities

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: The Eknath Shinde-led government in Maharashtra on Saturday gave a cabinet approval to rename Aurangabad and Osmanabad cities as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Dharashiv respectively.

    The decision to rename these cities was taken in the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government’s last cabinet meeting chaired by the then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on June 29, just before he resigned.

    However, Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who were sworn in on June 30, had said the Thackeray-led dispensation’s decision to rename these places was illegal as it was taken by it after the governor had asked it to prove majority in the state Legislative Assembly.

    During the cabinet meeting chaired by Thackeray last month, Aurangabad was renamed as Sambhajinagar, but the Shinde government on Saturday added ‘Chhatrapati’ prefix to it.

    At present Shinde and Fadnavis are the only two members in the cabinet as its expansion is still pending.

    A statement from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said the minutes of the June 29 cabinet meeting (chaired by Thackeray) were approved by the new government (led by Shinde) at the cabinet meeting held on Saturday.

    The minutes had come for approval before the new government, which had directed the administration to re-submit the proposal, it said.

    “The fresh proposal approved by the cabinet today will be sent to the Centre, after which the renaming of both the cities will be done at the divisional, district, taluka, municipal corporation and council levels,” it said.

    The cabinet also approved the decision to name the proposed Navi Mumbai International Airport after farmer leader D B Patil. This decision was also taken by the Thackeray-led cabinet last month.

    The CMO statement said the administration was asked to submit a fresh proposal about the airport’s name, which was approved on Saturday.

    The Navi Mumbai airport is being developed as a greenfield airport spread over 1,160 hectares by the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) under a public-private partnership.

    The MVA government comprising the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress collapsed on June 29 after Thackeray resigned as chief minister, days after Shinde raised a banner of revolt against the Sena leadership.

    Shinde took oath as the chief minister the next day.

    MUMBAI: The Eknath Shinde-led government in Maharashtra on Saturday gave a cabinet approval to rename Aurangabad and Osmanabad cities as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Dharashiv respectively.

    The decision to rename these cities was taken in the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government’s last cabinet meeting chaired by the then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on June 29, just before he resigned.

    However, Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who were sworn in on June 30, had said the Thackeray-led dispensation’s decision to rename these places was illegal as it was taken by it after the governor had asked it to prove majority in the state Legislative Assembly.

    During the cabinet meeting chaired by Thackeray last month, Aurangabad was renamed as Sambhajinagar, but the Shinde government on Saturday added ‘Chhatrapati’ prefix to it.

    At present Shinde and Fadnavis are the only two members in the cabinet as its expansion is still pending.

    A statement from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said the minutes of the June 29 cabinet meeting (chaired by Thackeray) were approved by the new government (led by Shinde) at the cabinet meeting held on Saturday.

    The minutes had come for approval before the new government, which had directed the administration to re-submit the proposal, it said.

    “The fresh proposal approved by the cabinet today will be sent to the Centre, after which the renaming of both the cities will be done at the divisional, district, taluka, municipal corporation and council levels,” it said.

    The cabinet also approved the decision to name the proposed Navi Mumbai International Airport after farmer leader D B Patil. This decision was also taken by the Thackeray-led cabinet last month.

    The CMO statement said the administration was asked to submit a fresh proposal about the airport’s name, which was approved on Saturday.

    The Navi Mumbai airport is being developed as a greenfield airport spread over 1,160 hectares by the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) under a public-private partnership.

    The MVA government comprising the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress collapsed on June 29 after Thackeray resigned as chief minister, days after Shinde raised a banner of revolt against the Sena leadership.

    Shinde took oath as the chief minister the next day.

  • My government will complete tenure, we will even win next election: Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday exuded confidence about completing his tenure in office and even winning the next elections in alliance with the BJP.

    Addressing a press conference here with Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis by his side, he said a decision about the expansion of the Maharashtra council of ministers will be taken in Mumbai next week.

    Shinde and Fadnavis, who arrived in the national capital on Friday night, met President Ram Nath Kovind, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and BJP chief J P Nadda on Saturday.

    Earlier, the Maharashtra chief minister and his deputy had lengthy deliberations with Union Home Minister Amit Shah during which the broad contours of the power-sharing arrangement were learnt to have been finalised.

    Shinde dismissed his predecessor Uddhav Thackeray’s call for mid-term elections, asserting the state government was strong and enjoyed the support of 164 MLAs in the house of 288 while the opposition had just 99 legislators.

    At the press conference, when Fadnavis was asked about the BJP cadre being unhappy over his “demotion” to the post of deputy chief minister, he said that on the contrary, the party workers were happy that the “injustice” done to them in 2019 has been rectified.

    The BJP workers were happy as natural allies BJP and Shiv Sena have formed government, unseating the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, he said.

    “It is very clear. The chief minister is the leader. We will work towards making this government successful,” Fadnavis said.

  • Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis to meet PM Modi: Sources

    The duo also met Union Home minister Amit Shah. Earlier, the newly elected speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Rahul Narwekar also called on Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

  • BJP wants to destroy Shiv Sena, hits out MP Sanjay Raut

    By PTI

    NASHIK: Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Friday hit out at the BJP, saying it does not want to just engineer a split in the party, but intends to altogether finish the regional outfit to realise its dream of “breaking” Maharashtra into three parts.

    He also dubbed the newly-installed Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government as “illegal”.

    Talking to reporters here in North Maharashtra, the Rajya Sabha MP hit out at rebel Sena MLAs and said they may have returned home, but Shiv Sainiks will ensure they do not get re-elected to the Legislative Assembly whenever polls are held.

    The rebel Sena MLAs first reached Surat from Mumbai on June 21, then flew to Guwahati and also stayed in Goa before returning to the state capital.

    Raut, the Sena’s chief spokesperson, said the rebel MLAs have been changing the reasons for revolting against the party leadership, an act which brought down the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government late last month.

    “The BJP does not want to engineer a split in the Shiv Sena, but it wants to finish the party. Till the time Shiv Sena exists, they cannot realise their dream of breaking Maharashtra into three pieces. They cannot free Mumbai (from Maharashtra till the time Sena exists),” he asserted.

    Slamming the rebel MLAs, Raut said they keep changing the reasons for rebelling against the party leadership — from accusing the Sena of deserting the Hindutva plank to then-Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s inaccessibility, to the NCP (which handled the finance portfolio under MVA government) not allocating funds to their constituencies.

    The Sena MP described the new government led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who took oath on June 30, as “illegal”.

    At a time when the disqualification plea of 16 Sena MLAs was pending before the Supreme Court, how can the Governor order a trust vote, Raut asked.

    The Shinde-led government won the trust vote in the Assembly on July 4.

  • Had I requested, I could have become Maharashtra Chief Minister, says Fadnavis

    By ANI

    MUMBAI: Devendra Fadnavis, who was sworn in as Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister last week, said on Tuesday that it was his proposal to make Eknath Shinde the Chief Minister of Maharashtra.

    “People used to think that BJP is eager for power, it is doing this for the post of CM, but despite having 106 MLAs, we made Eknath Shinde the CM. It’s my responsibility to ensure that Eknath Shinde is a successful CM,” Fadnavis said at a Press Conference.

    Fadnavis said he took the Deputy CM post after a discussion was held with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president JP Nadda as well as Union home minister Amit Shah. “The order of the party’s seniors was paramount to me and the BJP leadership believed that he should be part of the government,” he added.

    “One person has polluted the politics of Maharashtra and put state politics’ culture into a ditch, you know who that person is. He should self-respect,” he added.

    Putting rest to news reports claiming that Fadnavis is unhappy knowing Shinde being the Chief Minister of the State, Fadnavis today, while addressing a press conference said, “Had I requested, I could have become the Chief Minister. We made Shiv Sena’s representative as a Chief Minister for ideology…It was my proposal to make Shinde the CM.”

    “Senior party leaders insisted that government won’t run if I stayed out of it, so I accepted the Deputy Chief Ministerial post on their command,” said Fadnavis.

    Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde on Monday won the floor test in the state Assembly on the last day of the two-day special session of the House. In the 288-member House, 164 MLAs voted for the motion of confidence, while 99 voted against it. Three legislators abstained from voting, while Congress’s Ashok Chavan and Vijay Wadettiwar were among those absent during the trust vote.

    Shinde was sworn in as CM on June 30, a day after Uddhav Thackeray quit the post. BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis was sworn in as the deputy CM.

    Rahul Narvekar of the BJP was on Sunday elected Speaker of the Maharashtra Assembly during the first day of its special session.

    Narvekar, who polled 164 votes, defeated Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena candidate Rajan Salvi, who got 107 votes.

    The Speaker’s post was lying vacant since February last year after Nana Patole of the Congress resigned.

    Narvekar (45) is the youngest ever Assembly Speaker in the country, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said.

    Last month, Eknath Shinde launched a rebellion against the party. The majority of MLAs sided with him, which led to the collapse of the MVA government led by Uddhav Thackeray.

    Eknath Shinde was on Thursday sworn in as the 20th chief minister of Maharashtra, while BJP stalwart Devendra Fadnavis took oath as the deputy CM. 

  • ‘Will happen soon, let us breathe properly’: Fadnavis on Maharashtra Cabinet expansion

    By PTI

    NAGPUR: A day after the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government won the trust vote in the Assembly, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the state cabinet expansion will be done soon.

    Speaking to reporters at the Nagpur airport on Tuesday, Fadnavis expressed his determination towards the development of the state’s Vidarbha region.

    “The cabinet expansion will be done soon,” Fadnavis said.

    On his arrival to his hometown Nagpur following the formation of the new government in the state, BJP workers accorded a grand welcome to the deputy CM, who was accompanied by his wife Amruta Fadnavis.

    From the airport, the BJP leader embarked on a ‘jallosh yatra’ (victory celebration) organised here by his supporters.

    Last month, Shinde launched a rebellion against the Sena.

    Majority of MLAs sided with him, which led to the collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government led by Uddhav Thackeray.

    On June 30, Shinde was sworn in as the chief minister of Maharashtra, while Fadnavis took oath as the deputy CM.

    After winning the trust vote on Monday, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had said he will need some time before he and Fadnavis discuss the allocation of cabinet portfolios.

    “”Let us breathe properly. It was quite hectic for us (referring to political activities over the last fortnight). I and Devendra Fadnavis will sit and discuss cabinet portfolios and their allocation. We will also get the allocation vetted from national leaders of the BJP,”” Shinde had said.