Shiv Sena takes dig at Maharashtra Governor, says no threat to Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government

Maharashtra’s Chief Minster Uddhav Thackeray’s party Shiv Sena has targeted the state’s Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari following a slew of meetings at the Raj Bhawan amid reports of widening rift between the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition partners.

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MUMBAI: Maharashtra’s Chief Minster Uddhav Thackeray’s party Shiv Sena on Wednesday targeted the state’s Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari following a slew of meetings at the Raj Bhawan amid reports of widening rift between the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition partners.

Taking a dig at the state’s Governor, the party wrote in its mouthpiece ''Saamana'' that for the past few days, many people have been coming to the Raj Bhawan for which the Governor can’t be blamed.  

Describing the Governor as a ''saint'', the Saamna editorial said, "Koshyari is a man who believes in simple living. Throughout his life, he has championed the ideology of the Sangh Parivaar.’’

Further attacking the media and those spreading rumours that something is cooking at the Raj Bhawan, the Shiv Sena said that they are pointing fingers at the role of Governor in the state’s politics.

The Sena editorial asked why there was so much of a hullabaloo over NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s recent visit to Matoshree? The party said that it was not the first time that the NCP chief had visited Matoshree - the residence of Shiv Sena supremo Uddhav Thackeray. 

Saamana editorial concluded by saying that there is no threat to the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government in Maharashtra, and if there were no coronavirus crisis, there would have been celebrations over government's successful completion of six months in power.

The extremely sarcastic editorial in Sena mouthpiece came a day after Sharad Pawar went to Matoshree - the residence of Maharashtra chief minister and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray - triggering speculations that all is not well between the allies. While Thackeray held a meeting with NCP president Sharad Pawar,  senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut asserted that the state government is "strong".

NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray had a meeting for one-and-a-half hours. Those doubting about the stability of this government are doing so out of their own grudge. This government is strong," Raut tweeted in Marathi.

The two leaders met for about one-and-a-half hours late Monday evening, Raut said while dismissing speculations about the Thackeray-led government's stability. The Sena Rajya Sabha MP, however, did not reveal what transpired between the two leaders. The meeting between Thackeray and Pawar took place after the NCP chief met state Governor Koshyari on Monday morning.

Earlier, Pawar met Koshyari on Monday morning, following which the NCP claimed the meeting took place on the invitation of the governor and no political issues came up for discussion.

However, the timing of the meeting is significant as it took place against the backdrop of strained relations between the Shiv Sena, which heads the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, and the Raj Bhavan. The NCP is one of the key constituents of MVA.

Pawar was one of the key leaders from Maharashtra who had openly complained about Koshyari's "intervention" in the functioning of the state administration. Recently, senior BJP leader and former state chief minister Devendra Fadnavis complained to the governor about the "failure" of the Thackeray government in handling the COVID-19 crisis.