Raut says Shinde’s high command in Delhi; CM denies visit was to do with finalising power-sharing deal

Shinde responded saying that the Centre played an important role in the development of a state and he, along with deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis were on a “courtesy visit” to meet persons occupying Constitutional positions

Mumbai Shiv Sena leader and Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament Sanjay Raut slammed chief minister Eknath Shinde for meeting Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership on his Saturday visit to New Delhi, and said that it proved that the Maharashtra chief minister’s “high command” was in the national Capital, while the Shiv Sena’s leadership was in Matoshree, the Thackeray residence in Mumbai.

The newly sworn in CM and deputy CM were on a two-day visit to New Delhi, where they met prime minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah, defence minister Rajnath Singh and BJP national president JP Nadda (Bhushan Koyande)

“Maharashtra chief minister is on a Delhi tour because he is the BJP’s CM and their party high command is in Delhi. [No one can] claim that he (Eknath Shinde) is a Shiv Sena chief minister, Sena’s high command is in Maharashtra, Mumbai and Matoshree,” Raut said.

Shinde responded saying that the Centre played an important role in the development of a state and he, along with deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis were on a “courtesy visit” to meet persons occupying Constitutional positions.

The newly sworn in CM and deputy CM were on a two-day visit to New Delhi, where they met prime minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah, defence minister Rajnath Singh and BJP national president JP Nadda. The duo had day-long meetings on Friday and some part of Saturday to discuss the division of ministerial berths of the newly-formed government. The announcement is likely to be made in Mumbai next week, a BJP functionary said on Saturday.

The power-sharing pact gains significance in the backdrop of a petition filed by Sena chief and former CM Uddhav Thackeray’s camp over the disqualification of 16 MLAs who joined Shinde in his rebellion, which led to the eventual fall of the Sena-led Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. The Supreme Court is set to hear this petition, as well as another filed by the Shinde camp questioning the deputy speaker’s authority to disqualify the MLAs.

Raut said on Saturday that since the BJP is in power in the Centre, everything is decided by the party leadership. “Shiv Sena’s chief minister doesn’t go to Delhi (to discuss cabinet formation) but since the BJP government is in power everything will be decided in Delhi. That’s why Shinde went there to finalize the new cabinet,” Raut said.

“The Centre has a major contribution in the development of the states. A state can be developed at a much faster pace if it gets support and cooperation from the Central government. The prime minister has assured us all the help and cooperation,” Shinde told reporters in Delhi while officially denying having had discussions on power-sharing with the BJP.

“They are trying to create confusion,” Shinde said, referring to Raut’s claims that the BJP wanted to “finish” Shiv Sena and want break Maharashtra into three parts. “They (BJP) knew that it wouldn’t be possible if Shiv Sena was in existence. They have conspired to create conflict among Shiv Sainiks,” Raut said.

Shinde and Fadnavis also called upon President Ram Nath Kovind as well as solicitor general of India Tushar Mehta.