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Maharashtra

‘Let BJP Top Brass Decide, Told PM Won’t Be An Obstacle’: Eknath Shinde’s Green Signal To Devendra Fadnavis As Next Maharashtra CM

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'Let BJP Top Brass Decide, Told PM Won't Be An Obstacle': Eknath Shinde's Green Signal To Devendra Fadnavis As Next Maharashtra CM

Mumbai: Maharashtra’s caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday addressed a press conference at his residence in Thane. The presser came amid rising suspense over the name of the next CM.

Indicating Devendra Fadnavis as the front-runer for the chief minister post, Shinde said that he has left the CM decision on the top brass of NDA and the BJP top brass. The Shiv Sena chief informed that he personally called PM Modi and Amit Shah to inform that he won’t be an obstacle and will abide by the decision taken by them. He also stated the BJP’s high command would have the last word on the decision of the chair and Shiv Sena would completely support it.

“I called PM Modi yesterday and also Amit Shah and told them to decide (on who will be the CM post), and assured them that I will abide by whatever decision they take,” Shinde told reporters.

“Our Shiv Sena will fully support the BJP’s decision to name the next Maharashtra CM. There is no speed breaker from our side,” he added.

Shinde Hints At Leaving CM Post

He also stated that he never thought himself as a Chief Minister but always saw himself as a common man, hinting at leaving his stake on the CM post. Shinde also thanked the center for supporting him and his government time and again during his two-and-a-half-year tenure. He further stated that he is happy about the developmental works carried out by his government.

Shinde addressed reports citing rift within the Mahayuti alliance and said that he is not one of those who frown over differences within allies. He then reaffirmed that he would continue to work for the welfare of the people of Maharashtra. “I will work for the betterment of the people of Maharashtra till the last drop of my blood remains in my body,” said Shinde.

Shinde also stated that the recent triumph of the Mahayuti was a landslide victory due to the combined efforts of all the allies. “The public of Maharashtra trusted us,” said Shinde.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis left for Delhi to have a meeting with the senior leaders of BJP. Fadnavis is the front runner alongside Shinde in the race for being the next CM. Several leaders from the BJP as well as RSS have declared their support for the ex-CM to return on the chair.

Eknath Shinde Resigns As Maharashtra CM

Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde resigned as Maharashtra Chief Minister on Tuesday, amid uncertainty over his successor, three days after the state assembly election results were announced. Despite calls within his party for him to retain the post, Shinde stepped down as the CM.

The Shiv Sena chief submitted his resignation to Governor CP Radhakrishnan at Raj Bhavan. He was accompanied by Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar. The Governor then requested Shinde to continue as caretaker CM until the new government is formed.

Earlier that day, Shinde and Fadnavis attended a 26/11 memorial event at the Mumbai police commissioner’s office but had minimal interaction, reflecting the political tension.

Sena Leaders Lobbying For Shinde To Return As CM

The Shiv Sena, part of the ruling Mahayuti coalition, has strongly advocated for the next CM to be from its ranks. Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Shirsat on Wednesday stated that since the elections were fought under Shinde’s leadership, he should continue as CM. Shirsat also hinted that the new government’s swearing-in ceremony could take place at Wankhede Stadium by December 2.

Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske dismissed speculation about confusion over the CM’s post, stating that leadership discussions take time. He urged the BJP to consider Shiv Sena for the position, drawing parallels with similar arrangements in Bihar.

“There is no confusion. The leaders of Mahayuti will take a decision on the CM. No state announces the name of the CM in two days. It takes time. We are a small party so we have demanded that just like you (BJP) gave it (CM’S post to JDU) in Bihar, give it to us as well… It is on the leaders to decide,” Mhaske said.

Fadnavis To Be Next CM, Hints Ramdas Athawale

Meanwhile, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale claimed that BJP leadership had chosen Devendra Fadnavis to become CM for a third time, though no official confirmation came from the BJP.

The Mahayuti coalition delivered a strong performance in the recent Assembly elections, winning 230 out of 288 seats. The BJP secured 132 seats, followed by Shinde’s Shiv Sena with 57 and Ajit Pawar’s NCP with 41, solidifying their dominance in the state assembly.

Maharashtra

No one’s house will be blown up: CM Fadnavis on Sanjay Raut’s letter to police

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Nagpur, June 25: Maharashtra Chief Minister and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday took a firm stand against the alleged intimidating statements made by the rebel Shiv Sena(UBT) MP Sanjay Patil, who joined the Shinde faction recently, over bomb threat and murder claims.

Reacting swiftly to Shiv Sena(UBT) MP Sanjay Raut’s letter to the Mumbai Police Commissioner Deven Bharti demanding Patil’s arrest under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) over bomb threat and murder claims, CM Fadnavis dismissed the panic while promising strict police vigilance.

“We will not allow anyone’s house to be blown up with a bomb, and no one needs to be scared of such hollow threats. If someone is issuing threats, the police are highly capable and will give them a fitting reply,” CM Fadnavis told reporters, signalling that the law-and-order machinery is fully alert.

He reiterated that the police will take appropriate and strict legal action while directly reprimanding the controversial rhetoric by Patil.

The CM’s response comes after Raut, in his letter, emphasised that citizens have a constitutional right to protest and demand answers from their elected representatives. He claimed that the six defected MPs are facing immense public backlash across the state, and that Patil’s alleged threats — which reportedly included claims of “sending protesters to the cemetery” and “throwing bombs” — warranted an immediate investigation.

Raut levelled severe allegations against Sanjay Dina Patil and claimed that voters in Mumbai North East have been protesting on the streets against Patil for “betraying their mandate” by switching factions.

According to Raut, instead of answering citizens, Patil resorted to terrifying death threats. Raut alleged that Patil openly threatened protesters by saying, “Do not mess with me. Before protesting against me, make sure you get life insurance because I will send you straight to the cemetery or the hospital. I have already killed five people in the past. If anyone protests against me, I will throw a bomb at them or storm into their houses to kill them.”

Highlighting these alleged statements, Raut demanded that the Mumbai Police immediately register a murder case against Patil based on his “own confession of killing five people”.

Furthermore, the Rajya Sabha MP requested a comprehensive anti-terror raid at Patil’s residence. “The threat of using bombs from a sitting Member of Parliament is deeply alarming. If these bombs are being manufactured inside his house, a swift search must be conducted with the help of the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS). This is a grave matter of national security, and he must be arrested under the UAPA,” Raut wrote in his letter.

Incidentally, the bitter face-off has turned the Mumbai North East region into a political powder keg, as workers from both the Thackeray and Shinde factions continue to clash on the ground, amplifying the ongoing civil and political unrest.

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Maharashtra

Mahayuti’s overspending derailing Maharashtra’s financial legacy: Shiv Sena(UBT) in ‘Saamana’

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Mumbai, June 25: The Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) on Thursday claimed that the Mahayuti government’s move to present supplementary demands of Rs 97,706.40 crore, barely three months after the annual budget 2026-27, exposes the deterioration in Maharashtra’s financial discipline.

The party said that with public debt soaring to nearly Rs 11 lakh crore, an annual interest burden of Rs 60,000 crore and arbitrary spending from the state treasury, the economy of the Maharashtra government has completely collapsed.

The Thackeray camp, in a scathing editorial in the party’s mouthpiece, ‘Saamana’, taunted that the present situation mirrors an economics student who attaches supplement after supplement to their answer sheet during an exam, only to barely secure a passing grade when the results are announced. “Maharashtra’s ‘supplementary’ champion government is publicly making a mockery of the state’s devastated economy by setting records in supplementary demands,” it remarked.

The editorial argued that for any government, having to hold out a begging bowl for supplementary demands right after the budget is highly embarrassing. “The state government’s financial planning has completely derailed due to reckless extravagance on non-productive activities. Maharashtra once enjoyed an excellent reputation for its financial discipline, but over the last four years, this reputation has completely withered away. During these past four years, the Mahayuti government has gone on a relentless spree of bringing supplementary demands of nearly Rs 5 lakh crore. This is a world record for extra-budgetary spending,” said the editorial.

The Thackeray camp said that ideally, supplementary demands should be utilised just days before the next budget if allocated funds run short at the end of the fiscal year or if a new scheme is suddenly launched. “Today, however, allocations are intentionally concealed in the main budget, and thousands of crores are later demanded through supplementary routes to serve political motives. This time, the government has crossed all limits. With nine full months remaining until the next budget, the government’s revenue and expenditure estimates collapsed within the first three months,” it commented.

The editorial said ironically, when the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) was in power and presented significantly lower supplementary demands, leaders of the current regime — who were then in the opposition — criticised them fiercely, alleging a total breakdown of financial discipline. “Today, those very opposition leaders serve as the state’s Chief Minister and Finance Minister. Despite supplementary demands crossing Rs 5 lakh crore in four years under their watch, they no longer view it as financial indiscipline,” it added.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena sarcastically said the ‘Supplementary-Champion’ government is setting a record for supplementary demands and publicly humiliating the economy of a state that was once renowned for its financial discipline. The government is out in the open, single-handedly dismantling the economic legacy of a state once revered for its financial rectitude.

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Maharashtra

The government should immediately withdraw the FIRs registered against schools in Mumbai’s slum areas, make them permanent by relaxing the conditions: Abu Asim Azmi

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Mumbai, June 24, 2026: Senior Samajwadi Party leader and MLA from Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar, Abu Asim Azmi, raised the issue of private schools running in slums (slum areas) in the House during the monsoon session of the Maharashtra Assembly. He has demanded that the FIR registered against the principal, secretaries and chairman of these schools be withdrawn immediately and these schools should be saved from closure. Addressing the House, Abu Asim Azmi said, “My constituency Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar is a very poor and backward area. Around 30 to 35 thousand children are studying in private schools here. The capacity of BMC schools in this area has been completely exhausted and there is a long waiting list of children for new admissions. In such a situation, these private schools are the only support for the education of poor children.

Key demands and points:
Relaxation of conditions and regularization

The conditions of the government for approving schools such as open space, playground, etc. are practically impossible to meet in slum areas. Therefore, the government should make special laws for these areas and regularize them. FIRs registered against the management of these schools in Shivaji Nagar and Deonar police stations The R should be withdrawn immediately. He said that the result of these schools is more than 90 percent and their educational standard is better than BMC schools. Here, teachers are teaching children for a meager salary of just Rs. 6,000 to Rs. 7,000. He added that there has been a delay in the formation of the committee. In the last meeting, the government had also assured to form an inquiry committee on this issue, but no committee has been formed so far. Abu Asim Azmi warned that if these schools are closed due to administrative action, the future of 30 to 35 thousand poor children will be completely dark. He has strongly appealed to the government to intervene in this matter immediately.

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