Maharashtra Dy CM Eknath Shinde calls Devendra Fadnavis-Uddhav Thackeray meeting 'welcome change'

Eknath Shinde. Pic/PTI

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday labelled the meeting between Shiv Sena (UBT) head Uddhav Thackeray and CM Devendra Fadnavis a 'welcome change,' reported news agency PTI.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) chief and his MLA son Aaditya Thackeray on Tuesday met with Fadnavis and assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar at Vidhan Bhavan premises in Nagpur. Aaditya said they extended good wishes to the two and talked about taking a step towards showing political maturity and working together in the interest of the people.

Talking to reporters in Nagpur during the ongoing Winter Session of the state legislature, Shinde said those who were "over the moon" after the Lok Sabha poll results and "planning to jail us" if they returned to power after assembly elections were now meeting the chief minister, reported PTI.

"This is a welcome change. The chief minister is the leader of the state and anyone can meet him," Shinde said. He criticised the opposition for calling the BJP-led Mahayuti government an "EVM government", reported PTI.

The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which grabbed 30 of the 48 seats in the Lok Sabha polls in the state, could win only 46 of the 288 seats in the assembly polls. The Mahayuti, which got 17 seats in the General Elections, turned the tables by bagging 230 assembly seats.

Since the state polls, MVA leaders have been raising questions over the sanctity of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

"Don't insult (people's) mandate or else, people will teach you a lesson next time," Shinde said, reported PTI.

The deputy CM said the Mahayuti government, with BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP as its constituents, under Fadnavis will work as a team to deliver results.

Asked about the opposition's demand as to when portfolio allocation would be done so they can seek answers to various issues concerning the state, Shinde said, "The CM and his two deputies are capable of doing that," reported PTI.

He described it as "laughable" the demand of Uddhav Thackeray for election to the post of Chief Election Commissioner before implementing the 'one nation, one election' policy. "This amounts to challenging the constitutional post of the Chief Election Commissioner and an insult of the Constitution and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar," he said, reported PTI.

To a question about Shiv Sena's Neelam Gorhe not being elevated to the post of legislative council chairperson, Shinde said, "We are working as Mahayuti. We don't fight over posts."

(With inputs from PTI)