Maharashtra deputy CM Shinde visits Delhi, meets Shiv Sena MPs and senior Union Ministers
The visit comes just days after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis met senior BJP leaders and Union Ministers in the capital to discuss key infrastructure and funding proposals. The back-to-back visits by the two leaders have set off political chatter, especially amid growing strains within the alliance.
Shinde, who arrived in Delhi late Wednesday night, had a packed schedule on Thursday before returning to Mumbai. During his visit, he chaired a review meeting with MPs from his faction of the Shiv Sena, focusing on their parliamentary performance, constituency-level concerns, and coordination with the Centre. He is also learnt to have followed up on pending development issues with Union Ministers.
'Since the monsoon session of Parliament is underway, I came to Delhi to hold discussions with our MPs and meet Union Ministers. I always come to Delhi during the parliamentary session to hold a meeting with the party MPs. As an NDA ally, we support the Centre on key issues and are pushing for Maharashtra's development. Ours is a double-engine government and our efforts are aligned with that goal,' Shinde told reporters further dismissing the possibility of any reshuffle.
Highlighting the party's growing support in Mumbai, Shinde said 123 former BMC corporators have recently joined his faction. 'This is a good sign ahead of the civic polls. Those who ruled the BMC for 20 years and treated it like a hen that lays golden eggs have been taught a lesson. Mumbaikars will teach them another one in the coming elections,' he said, in a swipe at the Shiv Sena (UBT).
According to party sources, Shinde also interacted with office-bearers and representatives from other states, as part of the Sena's broader organisational outreach. 'These engagements are crucial as the party looks to expand beyond Maharashtra,' a senior party leader said.
In line with this strategy, the Shinde-led Shiv Sena is expected to hold a national executive meeting in Delhi in the coming weeks. State presidents and senior leaders from across India are expected to participate, with discussions likely to focus on party expansion and programme planning.
The visit comes at a politically sensitive time. The government is under fire from the Opposition over corruption allegations against some ministers, and there are growing demands for their resignation. Simultaneously, talks of a possible alliance between Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT) and Raj Thackeray's MNS ahead of the BMC elections have added to the political uncertainty.
Earlier this week, Deputy CM Fadnavis met Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and other senior Union Ministers to push for major funding proposals.
Fadnavis also met Maharashtra Governor Ramesh Bais on Thursday, fuelling speculation about a cabinet reshuffle or portfolio changes. However, BJP leaders have maintained that there is no plan for an immediate reshuffle.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
4 minutes ago
- Mint
P Chidambaram's BIG charge against Election Commission: ‘Abusing its powers and trying to change electoral character'
Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Sunday alleged that the Election Commission is trying to change the electoral character and patterns of states. The former Union Minister's allegation comes amid a raging row over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar Chidambaram asserted that this 'abuse of powers' must be fought politically and legally. The former home minister said the Bihar voter revision exercise is getting curiouser and curiouser. While 65 lakh voters are in danger of being disenfranchised in Bihar, reports of 'adding' 6.5 lakh persons as voters in Tamil Nadu is alarming and patently illegal, Chidambaram said in a post on X. "Calling them 'permanently migrated' is an insult to the migrant workers and a gross interference in the right of the electorate of Tamil Nadu to elect a government of its choice," the Rajya Sabha MP said. Why should the migrant worker not return to Bihar or his/her home state to vote in the State Assembly election, as they usually do, Chidambaram asked. "Does not the migrant worker return to Bihar at the time of the Chhath puja festival?" he said. "A person to be enrolled as a voter must have a fixed and permanent legal home. The migrant worker has such a home in Bihar (or another state). How can he/she be enrolled as a voter in Tamil Nadu?" Chidambaram said. If the migrant worker's family has a permanent home in Bihar and lives in Bihar, how can the migrant worker be considered as "permanently migrated" to Tamil Nadu, he further asked. "The ECI is abusing its powers and trying to change the electoral character and patterns of States. This abuse of powers must be fought politically and legally," Chidambaram said. The opposition has been protesting in both Houses of Parliament against the SIR, alleging the EC's exercise was aimed at "disenfranchising voters" in Bihar ahead of the Assembly elections. They have been demanding a discussion on the issue in both Houses of Parliament. Key Takeaways Concerns over the legitimacy of the Election Commission's voter roll revisions. Impact of migrant workers on electoral processes in their home states. The necessity for political and legal action against perceived electoral abuses.
Hindustan Times
34 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
‘We already know': What Shashi Tharoor said on Vice President race, and what he hopes for NDA to do
As the race to elect the next Vice President of India intensifies following Jagdeep Dhankhar's sudden resignation, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said on Sunday that the result is all but decided, and it evidently favours the ruling BJP-led NDA. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said the outcome of the Vice Presidential election is already decided.(PTI) 'All we know is that it will be somebody whom the ruling party nominates, as we already know the composition of the electorate,' Tharoor said, speaking to reporters. He added, "We hope they consult the Opposition, too, but who knows?" The Kerala MP has been making headlines for reported friction with his party Congress, particularly after he was chosen by the Modi government for the multi-party delegations to take India's anti-terror message to foreign countries after the Pahalgam terror attack and India's strikes against Pakistan under Operation Sindoor. The Congress took exception to the way he was chosen without asking the party; and then to his praise for Modi on that trip to the US and other countries. Despite his being a former global diplomat and a minister in the Congress-led UPA government before Narendra Modi came to power, his party did not list him as a speaker when Parliament debated on Operation Sindoor over the past week. Tharoor had simply said 'maunvrat' (vow of silence) when asked about not being among the speakers. Jagdeep Dhankhar suddenly resigned amid the debate — reasons are still a subject of speculation — necessitating the election. Explaining the mechanics of the Vice Presidential election, Tharoor noted that, unlike the Presidential vote, which includes state assemblies, the Vice President is elected solely by members of Parliament. Despite the NDA's evident numerical edge, he said he hoped that the Opposition would also be consulted in the process. Vice Presidential election The election for the post of Vice President will be held on September 9 and is set to be a keen contest with the Congress-led Opposition likely to field a common candidate to take on the BJP-led NDA which has the numbers on its side. If necessary, the polling will take place in room number F-101, Vasudha, on the first floor of the Parliament building on September 9 between 10 am and 5 pm. The results will be announced on the same day. Jagdeep Dhankhar's surprise resignation on July 21 marked the first time an incumbent had stepped down mid-term and did not seek a higher office. At the time of his resignation, Dhankhar had over two years of tenure left. Electoral college for the VP election The Electoral College for the election comprises members of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. The nominated members of the Rajya Sabha are also eligible to vote. This means 233 elected and 12 nominated members of the Rajya Sabha, and 543 members of the Lok Sabha. There are currently five vacancies in Rajya Sabha and one in Lok Sabha, pegging the effective strength of the electoral college at 782.
Time of India
40 minutes ago
- Time of India
Vice president election: Will government consult opposition? What Shashi Tharoor said
Shashi Tharoor NEW DELHI: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday said he does not know who will be the next vice president of India following Jagdeep Dhankhar's unexpected resignation. However, he said it is clear that the person will be the ruling BJP's nominee. "All we know is that it will be somebody whom the ruling party nominates, as we already know the composition of the electorate. It's the two houses of Parliament. Unlike the Presidential election, where the state assemblies also vote. For the vice president, it's only the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. So we already know the majority. I think it's fairly clear that the next vice president will be the nominee of the ruling party," Tharoor said. He added, "We hope they consult the Opposition too, but who knows." Dhankhar resigned on July 21. His decision came as a surprise, as he still had more than two years left in his term. He is the first sitting vice president to step down mid-term without contesting for a higher office. Earlier, V V Giri and R Venkataraman had also resigned from the post mid-term in 1969 and 1987 respectively, but both were running for the office of the President at the time. The Congress-led opposition is likely to field a joint candidate, while the BJP-led NDA has the numbers in both houses of Parliament. The election is expected to see a contest between the two sides.
