After the Congress’ claims that Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde would soon be replaced, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena (UBT) has said that a change in the CM’s post was certain with Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday stating that the BJP would use the rebel NCP leader to topple Mr. Shinde.
“Ajit Pawar is the ‘woodpecker’ that will make a hole in CM Eknath Shinde’s chair,” Mr. Raut wrote in his column in the Sena (UBT’s) mouthpiece Saamana.
Mr. Raut claimed that a BJP delegation, which believed that making Mr. Shinde the CM had proved detrimental for the party’s fortunes in Maharashtra, had already met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi.
“Despite all this, Mr. Shinde has been claiming he would remain the CM even after the 2024 elections. If this was indeed the case, then why was Ajit Pawar brought into the picture?” he said.
Claiming that experts had not understood the politics of the Pawar clan, Mr. Raut alluded to a cartoon drawn by the late Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray on Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, whose party was split last month by his nephew Ajit Pawar.
“Balasaheb made a cartoon on all political leaders of Maharashtra where he portrayed Sharad Pawar as a woodpecker making a hole in the CM’s chair. It appears that Ajit Pawar has today emerged as that woodpecker. He made a hole in the Nationalist Congress Party...Devendra Fadnavis will use this woodpecker to make a hole in Eknath Shinde’s chair as well. This much is certain,” Mr. Raut said.
Earlier, Maharashtra Leader of the Opposition and Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar — an ally of the Sena (UBT) — had claimed that Mr. Shinde would be replaced in September and that the State would see big changes in the ruling government.
Following persistent speculation about Mr. Shinde being replaced, both Mr. Ajit Pawar and Mr. Fadnavis had on August 18 lashed out at the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) for suggesting that the Deputy CM coveted Mr. Shinde’s position.
Mr. Fadnavis said that both Deputy Chief Ministers were instead “protecting CM Shinde” and not harbouring any desire to occupy his chair.
