LoP Wadettiwar claims reshuffle in Maharashtra government soon, main seat will change; Eknath Shinde to remain CM, asserts state BJP chief

Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Assembly Vijay Wadettiwar has said that there will be major changes in the state government, including the main seat. However, Wadettiwar did not take anyone's name while making these claims. Currently, Maharashtra is currently ruled by Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction), BJP and Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar group)

Nagpur (Maharashtra): Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Assembly Vijay Wadettiwar on Saturday claimed that there will be major changes in the state government, including the main seat, in the coming weeks. However, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Maharashtra president Chandrashekhar Bawankule differed.

Chandrashekhar Bawankule asserted that Eknath Shinde will continue to be the Chief Minister till the Assembly elections in Maharashtra next year. The BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) faction under Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar are the ruling partners in the Maharashtra government. Ajit Pawar, the nephew of Sharad Pawar, orchestrated a coup in the party founded by his uncle and joined the BJP-Shiv Sena government in the state on July 2. Eight other NCP MLAs, who supported Ajit Pawar, were also sworn in as Maharashtra Ministers, including Chhagan Bhujbal, Dilip Walse Patil, Aditi Tatkare and Hasan Mushrif.

Wadettiwar, who recently took charge as the Leader of the Opposition, told reporters that Maharashtra will witness major changes in the state government in a few weeks. "There will be a change in the main seat. I'm not saying that there will be a change of government, but the main seat will change in September," said the senior Congress leader, without taking any name.

In June 2022, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government fell after Ekanth Shinde mounted a revolt and split the Shiv Sena. Eknath Shinde then tied up with the BJP to occupy the top post.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule said there will be no change in the top post. "Eknath Shinde will be Chief Minister of Maharashtra till the next Assembly elections. Our top leaders have already made clear that Eknath Shinde will remain the CM," added Bawankule, a former Maharashtra Minister. (With PTI inputs)