CM Eknath Shinde will be meeting with the BJP leadership. (Photo: PTI)
Shiv Sena legislators had raised concerns over the Pawar-led NCP faction joining the state government and thus created an unrest in the Shinde camp
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde will meet the BJP leadership in Delhi on Saturday, sources told News18. The ‘sudden’ trip to the national capital has sparked fresh speculation as earlier this month unrest was reported in Shinde-led Shiv Sena over Ajit Pawar’s entry into the government.
Earlier in July, Shinde shut down the speculations that his faction’s leaders were unhappy with Ajit Pawar’s NCP joining the government. He had said that nobody is unhappy in his government with Pawar’s inclusion in the state government.
Shinde went on to describe it as “rumours spread by the opposition,” adding it suggests that his chief ministerial chair may be in jeopardy following Ajit Pawar and eight other NCP MLAs joined his year-old state ministry.
This came after some Shiv Sena legislators had expressed concerns over the Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction joining the state government. However Shinde chaired a meeting with the Shiv Sena MLAs, MLCs and MPs afterwards.
The political circles were left agitated after Pawar’s remarks stating his wish to be the chief minister.
This remark made the Shinde faction nervous considering their wait over Assembly Speaker’s ruling on disqualification complaint against its MLAs.
However, amid the unrest, Maharashtra minister Uday Samant had dismissed the rumours of Shinde’s resignation and termed them as being “false”.
NCP leader Ajit Pawar had taken oath as the second deputy chief minister of Maharashtra on July 2, with the support of around 30 NCP MLAs, eight of whom were included into CM Eknath Shinde’s cabinet.
(With PTI inputs)