New Delhi, May 28 (IANS) Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister, Eknath Shinde, on Thursday expressed absolute confidence that the Mahayuti alliance will contest the upcoming Legislative Council elections with complete unity and secure a sweep across all 17 seats.
Speaking to reporters in Delhi, Dy CM Shinde dismissed any rumours of internal friction within the alliance, asserting that the seat-sharing formula will be finalised respectfully.
While the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) plans to contest all 17 seats, he claimed they won’t win even a single seat.
Shinde noted that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has already clarified the seat-sharing framework. “The Mahayuti alliance is strong and rock solid. We are working together and driving Maharashtra’s development forward at a rapid pace,” he stated, adding that the Opposition cannot digest the unity in the Mahayuti alliance.
With the deadline for filing nominations set for June 1, he subtly questioned the media’s impatience, asking, “Why is the media in such a rush?”
Responding to Shiv Sena (UBT) MP, Sanjay Raut’s jibe at him claiming that he is feeling “suffocated” in the current state government, Shinde dismissed the statement as attempts to mislead the public, adding that the Opposition is simply unable to digest the strength of the Mahayuti alliance. He also targeted Uddhav Thackeray, pointing out the “pitiful state” of those who once used extreme language.
“The Mahayuti alliance is strong. We are working together. The BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP are unitedly driving the development of Maharashtra, and this is causing heartburn for the Opposition. Because they cannot digest this, they are making misleading statements,” he claimed.
He further added, “Today, BJP is the number one party in Maharashtra across all elections, and Shiv Sena is number two. The Opposition has been pushed so far down that they don’t even know where their numbers stand anymore.”
When questioned about the Maratha reservation issue and the ongoing protests by activist Manoj Jarange, Shinde emphasised that the government remains deeply sensitive to the community’s concerns.
He informed the press that BJP legislator Prasad Lad recently met with Manoj Jarange to hear his demands.
“During my tenure as Chief Minister, alongside Ajit Dada and Devendra Fadnavis, we took historic decisions for the Maratha community. We issued Kunbi certificates, established the Justice Shinde Committee, and provided a 10 per cent reservation,” he recalled.
He added that the government has also consistently supported the community through the Annasaheb Patil Economic Development Corporation.
Shinde reiterated that the government maintains a positive approach towards resolving the remaining issues and firmly believes that Manoj Jarange should not have to resort to a hunger strike again.
Welcoming the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code in Assam, he congratulated Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
He highlighted that ‘One Nation, One Law’ has been a core stance of Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray since the very beginning. He noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also stated multiple times that a single nation cannot operate under two different legal systems, adding that Maharashtra will look into the matter with a positive perspective.
According to Shinde, Balasaheb Thackeray harboured three major dreams comprising the construction of the Ram Mandir, the abrogation of Article 370 and the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code. With two of these dreams already fulfilled, he expressed confidence that the third will be realised soon. He also slammed critics for misleading the public, clarifying that the UCC will have absolutely no adverse impact on the reservations of Tribal and Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) communities.
Concluding his interaction, Shinde addressed on Fadnavis’ meeting with the Prime Minister, stating that as a leader of the state, coordinating with the Centre to ensure Maharashtra’s ongoing development is a fundamental duty.
–IANS
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