24×7

MVA confronts Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis for the first time since the Shiv Sena rebellion.

Even as they were humbled during the Speaker’s election on Sunday, Shiv Sena, NCP, and Congress allies took potshots at Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, his deputy Devendra Fadnavis, newly-appointed Speaker At the Vidhan Bhavan, Rahul Narwekar was there with other BJP and opposition Shiv Sena MLAs.

NCP leader Ajit Pawar congratulated Narwekar on his election as Speaker, saying, “Narwekar was in Shiv Sena and close to his leader Aaditya Thackeray.” He was close to me in the NCP. He is now close to Devendra.”

Addressing Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Pawar stated that he must cultivate good relations with Narwekar, “or else who knows what will happen to you.” The NCP leader went on to say that what Narwekar has accomplished in three years would take many BJP leaders years to accomplish.

Pawar criticised Shinde, saying, “He should have come and told me… and I would have told Uddhav Thackeray… and there would have been no difficulty making him the CM.”

Sudhir Mungantiwar, a BJP politician, responded by saying, “Over the next six months, if you (Pawar) acquire some desires, you may quietly let us know, and we will consider it.”

Aaditya Thackeray, the head of the Shiv Sena, criticised Fadnavis and stated that Shinde would have been the current chief minister now if Fadnavis had agreed to the Sena’s power-sharing plan following the 2019 state elections position would have been reversed (the BJP would have gotten the CM’s post).”

He also remembered Narwekar as a law professor.

Taking on the BJP, Ajit Pawar stated that many BJP leaders have been treated unfairly. Ganesh Naik, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, and Babanrao Pachpute are just a few of the front row who previously belonged to other political parties before joining the BJP. A physician named Deepak, a former NCP member who is now the Shinde faction’s spokesperson, can be seen. I can see that he has developed into a good spokesperson, so whatever he learned in NCP did not go to waste.”