To achieve growth, get on-field, not online: Shinde tells Uddhav

First India Bureau

Mumbai: Maharashtra

CM Eknath Shinde on Saturday took a swipe at his former leader Uddhav Thackeray by stating good relations have to be maintained with the Centre to get development funds, and work gets done on the ground and not online or from home.

Speaking at the ABP conclave, Shinde said one needed to keep ego aside for the state, a swipe at Thackeray, who as chief minister of the Maha Vikas Aghadi dispensation between 2019 and 2022, often sparred with the Narendra Modi govt.

Stressing it is important to have good working relations with the Centre to fuel growth in the state, Shinde said, “To achieve growth, one needs to get on the field. You can’t get things done online or through Facebook. A chief minister has to keep ego aside when dealing with the Centre to get funds for development.”

The Bharatiya Janata Party would routinely accuse Thackeray of ruling from his private residence ‘Matoshree’ in suburban Bandra in the metropolis and not undertaking tours to the districts, despite the crippling effects of the COVID-19 pandemic since March 2020.

Queried on the Election Commission choosing his faction as the real Shiv Sena and giving it the bow and arrow symbol, Shinde said, “The Shiv Sena is founded by Balasaheb Thackeray. Most of the Shiv Sena MLAs, MPs, (for- mer) corporators are with me.” Without naming Uddhav Thackeray, the CM said the former ditched the ideology of Balasaheb Thackeray in the lust for power.

Uddhav Thackeray had broken his alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party after the 2019 Assembly poll results claiming the latter had broken its promise of sharing the chief ministerial tenure. He formed the Maha Vikas Aghadi with the Nationalist

Congress Party and the Congress and ruled till June 2022, when a rebellion by Shinde brought down the state govt.

“The Shiv Sena ideology faced betrayal when you (Uddhav) formed government with Congress and NCP, which Balasaheb had told you to keep at arm’s length,” Shinde said.

Shinde also said he will not claim properties of the Shiv Sena (after recognition of his faction by the EC) and said the legacy and ideology of Balasaheb Thackeray are what he and his supporters treasure.

The Shiv Sena ideology faced betrayal when you (Uddhav) formed government with Congress and NCP, which Balasaheb had told you to keep at arm’s length,” Eknath Shinde, Maharashtra CM

Crucial

Nashik: One person was killed and three others were injured as a private passenger bus collided with a pick-up van in Nashik district on early Saturday morning, police said. The accident took place near Shirwade Phata on Mumbai-Agra highway at around 5.30 am.The bus was on its way to Nashik from Malegaon while the van was crossing the highway when the collision took place.

Rajaram Laxman Chothva (45), resident of Banpada in Surgana tehsil, lost his life, police said.

FIRE BREAKS OUT IN ST BUS IN NASHIK, NONE HURT

Nashik: A fire broke out in a state transport bus in Nashik in Maharashtra on Saturday, though passengers managed to alight safely in time, an official said. The incident took place in Upnagar area on Nashik-Pune highway when the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) bus was on its way to Shirdi from Nashik, he said. “The driver of the bus noticed smoke emanating from the underbody of the bus. He alerted all the passengers, who alighted in time. The driver, conductor, passengers doused the fire in some time after a Nashik Municipal Corporation water tanker arrived at the site,” he said.

Nagpur: City police is set to spend two crore rupees to conduct a camp to mitigate post-COVID health issues among its 7,357 personnel, an official said on Saturday. Health issues have been on the rise in the force after the pandemic and the health camp will undertake several tests, including of the eye and for cancer, Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar said. The fund of Rs2 crore for the camp will be provided by the District Planning Committee, he added. Some 50 police personnel have died of COVID-19 in Nagpur commissionerate since March 2020, officials said.

Stabs Woman To Death Over Dispute

Nagpur: A 35-year-old woman was stabbed to death in front of her mother allegedly by her neighbour in Nagpur city on Saturday, a police official said. The incident took place in Rambagh area and may be the fallout of a property dispute, the Imambada police station official said.

“The victim, identified as Aarti Nicholas, and the 25-year-old accused are neighbours. The accused was building a house and wanted Nocholas to give up her land,” he said. During an argument, he stabbed Nicholas, who died in a nearby hospital.