Shinde responsible for heat stroke death: BJP
After 12 people died due to heat stroke during the Kharghar incident, the BJP instructed its ministers and leaders not to defend Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in any way. According to the state leadership, Shinde was solely responsible for organizing the event in scorching heat that led to the tragic deaths, and he should face the consequences since he was seeking credit for the program. A BJP minister was scheduled to hold a press conference in support of Shinde but received a last-minute call cancelling the meeting.
Congress leaders upset with party members
Congress leaders expressed dissatisfaction with their party members for granting special treatment to Uddhav Thackeray during the Maha Vikas Aghadi rallies. They argued that Thackeray’s current MLA strength was lower than that of the Congress, so there was no reason to treat him differently or preferentially. In the MVA’s Vajramut rallies, Thackeray was given a special chair and podium due to health reasons while other leaders were provided with regular chairs. The Congress leaders believed that all individuals should be treated equally.
MVA emerges strong in APMC elections
In the recent elections for the agriculture product market committee (APMC), the Maha Vikas Aghadi emerged as the dominant force, while Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who led the Shiv Sena’s minister, failed to retain their agriculture stronghold. The APMC holds significant importance in rural and farmer politics. The BJP emerged as the single largest party, winning 60 APMCs, followed by the NCP with 40 APMCs, and the Congress with 35 APMCs. The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena won 15 APMCs, while Shinde’s Shiv Sena secured 11 APMCs, with the remaining being shared by joint and independent forces in the state.
Sudhir Suryawanshi
Our correspondent in Maharashtra
suryawanshi.sudhir@gmail.com