Team News Riveting
Mumbai, July 5
The political developments unfolding following Ajit Pawar’s entry into Maharashtra’s ruling coalition has generated great discomfort among the Shiv Sena MLAs supporting Eknath Shinde.
The seriousness of the crisis could be gauged by the reports that Chief Minister cancelled all his appointments on Wednesday and called an urgent party meeting. Sources said the Sena MLAs are objecting to the alliance, pointing out that party founder Bal Thackeray would never have associated with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
Shinde is battling to convince the MLA as they split Shiv Sena on the ground that Uddhav Thackeray has deviated from his father’s ideology and claimed Bal Thackeray’s legacy. Alliance with Sharad Pawar’s party and the Congress was the biggest card that they played. Now, Shinde has to accord a warm welcome to the NCP rebels.
“Now the double engine government has a triple engine. The state will sprint (on the path of development). Now we have one Chief Minister and two deputy chief ministers. This will help faster development of the state,” he said on Sunday after Ajit Pawar took oath as the Deputy Chief Minister.
Shinde’s party had made it clear over two months ago that they were not comfortable having NCP in the ruling alliance. “Our policy is clear about it. The NCP is a party which betrays. We will not be with the NCP even in power,” Shinde Sena faction spokesperson Sanjay Shirsat had told reporters.
With the entry of Ajit Pawar, BJP can heave a sigh of relief that its dependence on the Shiv Sena has reduced. But for Shinde, chaos continues as Ajit Pawar claimed that he will like to be the Chief Minister someday.
