'Those who didn't last for 80 days, shouldn't worry about Cong-NCP-Sena Govt': Sanjay Raut

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut in his party mouthpiece Saamana has said that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders have reached Nagpur for the winter session and the cabinet expansion will take place after the winter session which is to be held from December 16 to 21. Raut while attacking the leader of opposition Devendra Fadnavis, has said that those who did not last for 80 hours shouldn't worry about whether the new government will last for 80 days.

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The Nagpur winter session, which has usually been a 2-week affair for the past 20 years, has been reduced to six days due to the late formation of the government and the delayed allocation of portfolios among the coalition parties. In order to justify the decision, Raut has said in the party mouthpiece that the long winter sessions usually have less of important discussions and more of parties at night and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray would not want to be in such environment for a long time. Earlier, Raut had said this is the first session of MVA government and hence of shorter duration and the BJP-Sena government had done the same thing in the previous term.

“Many times the session lasts for one to two weeks, but for this, the whole assemblage of the government reaches Nagpur and are usually involved in riotous parties at night. Our new Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray would not stay in such an environment for long,” said Raut.

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Attacks Fadnavis

Taking a dig at the former chief minister and now the leader of opposition Devendra Fadnavis, Raut said, “Those who couldn’t sustain the government for 80 days now think that this government will not last for 80 days. The Nagpur session is usually known for political upheaval but this strong government of 170 members majority is here to stay for five years.” Citing a meeting in Lucknow where Raut met leaders of various parties who shifted to BJP and are now handling portfolios in the BJP government, he said that the ministers have lauded the Maharashtra government formation and are now being hopeful of the similar political transformation in other states too.

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He added that the bullet train project may not see the light of the day and the construction of Mumbai metro car-shed has also been kept on hold as the people had come on streets to stop the cutting of trees in Aarey colony. Taking a veiled dig at BJP, Raut said, "What did not prevail in BJP and Shiv Sena for 25-30 years, such excellent communication is now seen in the three parties involved in the government". "Running the government of Aghadi is an art and the leaders of such a government should be generous in mind, I have seen this generosity in Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar since day one," asserted Raut.

Raut also stated that Ajit Pawar's role in the sustenance of this government is crucial, however, Sharad Pawar has given assurance on Ajit Pawar and asserted confidence of a stable government for five years.

A BJP official had earlier said that the six-day session doesn't hold the promises made to people of Vidarbha as the region's issues must be discussed in detail for which a longer session was needed. The official had added that the MVA government is scared of facing 120 MLAs led by Devendra Fadnavis for which they have shorten the duration.

Maharashtra assembly speaker Nana Patole had said earlier that the decision of six days session was taken by Business Advisory Committee (BAC) before he became the speaker. He asserted that from the next session he will take up issues plaguing the region for discussion in the assembly.

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