MUMBAI: After the polling for all 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra ended on May 20, some leaders who campaigned in the scorching heat have flown to cooler countries to get some respite before the results.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and his family, and the Leader of Opposition and Congress MLA Vijay Wadettiwar, among other leaders, flew abroad to get relief from the boiling temperature in Maharashtra.
Sources in major parties said that many leaders, after the campaigning, decided to take a break either in Europe and England so that they could refresh themselves before the counting day.
“Politicians generally go for summer holidaying in April and May, but their scheduled tours were delayed this time as they were busy with election campaigns. Now, as they have a few days for a break, they are using it to get some respite from growing heat in India,” a leader from a party said.
The Lok Sabha elections were held in five phases in Maharashtra and all five phases were over on May 20. The result is scheduled for June 4.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said, “Uddhav Thackeray can afford to go out but I, as the chief minister, have to be here to look after many works. I have to take measures to mitigate the drought and inspect the nullah cleaning work.”
BJP Mumbai unit president Ashish Shelar criticised Uddhav for leaving the state amid drought conditions in many parts of the state. “He (Uddhav) should inspect nullah-cleaning work in London,” Shelar said in a lighter vein.
Shiv Sena(UBT) MLA Sunil Raut said, “No one has stopped the CM and ruling party leaders from going abroad in summer vacations, but the only condition is that they have to speak English there. These guys cannot speak English; therefore, no one invited them to London.”
Deputy chief ministers Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis have stayed put in Maharashtra after the polls.