Shinde’s time up? BJP mulls change of guard

Pre-poll surveys reveal the going may get tough for BJP with Shinde’s as the leader of the BJP-Sena bloc. These findings have necessitated a change of guard.

Cong MLAs meet Kharge, seek new Oppn leader 

A delegation of Congress MLAs led by Sangaram Thopate recently met with party president Mallikarjun Kharge, urging him to name any party MLA as leader of the Opposition in the state assembly. Also, Ajit Pawar split NCP, the position became vacant. During the meeting, Kharge chastised MLAs for working under the shadow of NCP chief Sharad Pawar and consulting him on Congress matters. He expressed his displeasure with MLAs who are swayed by the NCP chief. He told them that now is the time to emerge as Maharashtra’s single largest political force and stop playing second fiddle to anyone.

Shinde’s time up? BJP mulls change of guard 

According to sources close to him, CM Eknath Shinde’s a different man after a recent meeting with PM Narendra Modi and HM Amit Shah. Also, he didn’t say anything at the recent business advisory meeting. Devendra Fadnavis, his deputy, was in charge of the meeting. The BJP brass has told Shinde that he did well in deposing the Uddhav Thackeray government. However, pre-election polls show that with Shinde as the leader of the BJP-Sena bloc, the going may get tough for the BJP. These revelations have resulted in a change of guard.

NCP netas’ hopes up after grants to Ajit camp

The Maharashtra government has approved Rs 41,000 crore in supplementary demands for grants given to the newly-merged Ajit Pawar faction to be used by its MLAs and ministers for constituency development. Some NCP MLAs who previously refused to lead the finance ministry have now asked the new finance minister to allocate enough funds to their respective constituencies. In supplementary demands, NCP minister Anil Patil received Rs 25 crore, while former minister and NCP MLA Rajendra Shingane received Rs 450 crore. As a result, MLAs received more funds in supplementary demands than ministers.