Maha leaders assert dominance, Fadnavis takes jibe at Pawar

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed confidence in the leadership triumvirate comprising of himself, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar. During the ‘government at your doorstep’ program in Shirdi, Fadnavis remarked on the trio’s collaborative “working style,” claiming that it faced no competition.
Fadnavis also responded to comments from Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar. Reflecting on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s declaration about returning to the Red Fort for next year’s Independence Day, Fadnavis connected it to his own assurance during the 2019 Assembly polls. Without directly naming Pawar, he said, “I had announced ‘mi punha yael’ (I will be back), and the lingering impact of that proclamation remains evident. When I made the pledge, the people genuinely re-elected me, but some individuals
deceived us.”
Alluding to the fragmentation within the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, primarily Eknath Shinde’s shift which led him to the Chief Ministerial position, Fadnavis added that they have co-opted those who once betrayed them.
The senior BJP leader voiced strong support for PM Modi, stressing that the nation, recognizing his relentless efforts, would see him address from the Red Fort again next year.
Ajit Pawar, present at the occasion, belittled the idea of opposition parties forming an alliance against the BJP, describing it as an inconsequential “khichdi”.