Congress leader Nana Patole has created a stir in Maharashtra politics by saying that Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar can mix with the oldest party in the country. Shinde is the head of Shiv Sena and Pawar Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). He claimed that he was “feeling suffocated” in the BJP -led Mahayuti government. Patole claimed that if Shinde and Ajit go into the opposition camp, they can also find the CM’s chair on “rotational basis”.
Former Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Patole said on Friday, “The position of Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde is not fine in the ruling coalition and government. They are feeling suffocated … We will give them their support. To resolve the issue of the post of CM (Ajit and Shinde) between them, we will give them the post of CM and make both of them in turn.
According to the Indian Express, this statement of Patole has come amidst the speculation of differences between Shinde and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. There has been a discussion for the last few weeks that Fadnavis has been trying to end the projects and schemes which Shinde started as CM in the previous Mahayuti Sarkar.
It is said that Shinde is also angry with the dispute within Mahayuti over the selection of patron ministers for Nashik and Raigad districts.
Shinde gave counter offer
Soon after Patole’s statement, Mahayuti leaders, including Shinde and BJP’s Chandrashekhar Bawankule, targeted him and gave him the “counter offer” to join the ruling coalition.
On the other hand, Congress leader Vijay Vadettiwar and Uddhav Thackeray -led Shiv Sena Sanjay Raut supported Patole’s stance. Vadettywar praised Shinde and said that no person in politics is a friend or enemy forever.
He said, “Shinde has a lot of potential. So he can divide the Uddhav Sena (in 2022) and form his own party, but the way he is being sidelined and targeted in the government, it seems that Shinde is upset and angry … Therefore, something can happen in future. Something can happen in future. No one in politics is there forever. No one can take any decision when anyone can take any decision.”
Sanjay Raut also said that nothing is impossible in politics.
Raut said, “Did anyone think that Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government would be formed under the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray in 2019? Did anyone think that after that an unconstitutional government would come? Did anyone dream that after that (in 2024) Devendra Fadnavis’s government will again (to power)? All the possibilities in politics.”
He said that Patole’s comment presents a picture of what is happening in the Mahayuti government.
Shinde wanted to join Congress!
Raut claimed, “(among the ruling coalition parties), the tussle has suddenly come to the fore. Nana Patole had rang long ago. He should have wait a little. Maharashtra’s politics is about to change in about a year.”
Raut later also claimed that Shinde wanted to join the Congress earlier. He said that senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chauhan can make more disclosure in this regard and Shinde had also met the top Congress leader late Ahmed Patel in Delhi to discuss this.
Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council and Shiv Sena UBT leader Ambadas Danve also reiterated the same thing that Shinde’s joining the Congress is “definitely discussion.”