Kadu contradicts Fadnavis on Guwahati sojourn

Meanwhile, the Shinde-Fadnavis government on Wednesday approved the revised administrative approval of an irrigation scheme worth ₹495 crore proposed at Achalpur tehsil, which is part of Kadu’s constituency. The project will irrigate a 6,134-hectare farmland covering 35 villages

Mumbai: Prahar Janshakti chief and independent legislator Bachchu Kadu on Wednesday said that his decision of rebelling against the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government and going with Eknath Shinde to Guwahati was a thought-out choice. “Going to Guwahati was a considered decision that I took given the pending development works of my constituency,” he said. Kadu’s assertion came in response to deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’ statement that Kadu joined Shinde in Guwahati after Fadnavis made a single phone call to him.

In response, Kadu dared Rana to tell him the location where he wanted him to come. (Hindustan Times)

Shinde and 39 rebel MLAs had gone to Guwahati in June to extend their support to the Bharatiya Janata Party, leading to the fall of the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government. Kadu, despite being a minister in the Thackeray government, was part of the rebellion along with another MLA from his party, Rajkumar Patel.

Meanwhile, the Shinde-Fadnavis government on Wednesday approved the revised administrative approval of an irrigation scheme worth ₹495 crore proposed at Achalpur tehsil, which is part of Kadu’s constituency. The project will irrigate a 6,134-hectare farmland covering 35 villages. The decision was taken in the state cabinet meeting.

The approval is interesting, coming as it does in the backdrop of an ongoing spat between Kadu and Ravi Rana, an independent MLA supporting the BJP. Already upset about not being given a ministerial berth in the Shinde-Fadnavis government, Kadu had taken strong objection to Rana’s recent snide remarks about ‘cash for rebellion’ and given the government a deadline to resolve the issue. He had also indirectly issued a threat to withdraw his party’s support to the Shinde-Fadnavis government along with 12 other MLAs on account of Rana’s remarks.

In a telephonic conversation with Hindustan Times, Kadu said that his problem with the previous government was that despite being a minister, development works proposed for his assembly constituency did not get the go-ahead.

“Development works of my constituency were pending and the chief minister was not looking into it. He was also not meeting me, which forced me to take the step of supporting Eknath Shinde,” the former minister said. Meanwhile, the Kadu-Rana fracas, which had subsided for a brief while, has flared up again. After apologising for his objectionable comments on Monday, Rana reiterated on Wednesday that he would not tolerate threats from anyone.

“I was the one who came forward and settled the dispute,” he told reporters on Wednesday. “But I will not endure continued abuse. If Ravi Rana was not afraid of Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, who is Bachchu Kadu? If someone issues threats to me continuously, I have the guts to thrash him inside his house.”

In response, Kadu dared Rana to tell him the location where he wanted him to come. “The matter has ended from my side. I don’t want to drag this on any more but if Ravi Rana wants to beat me, then I am ready. He should tell me where to come,” the Achalpur MLA said.