Gadchiroli:

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar and Industry Minister Uday Samant had a narrow escape on Wednesday after the helicopter in which they were travelling from Nagpur to Gadchiroli lost its way due to poor visibility amid bad weather.

However, the pilot skilfully managed to get back on course and landed the helicopter safely.

The trio had gone to Gadchiroli for the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Rs 10,000 crore Surjagad Ispat integrated steel project in Aheri tehsil of the district.

It was Ajit Pawar who narrated the incident at the function, crediting the pilot’s skill in their safe landing.

“The helicopter properly took off from Nagpur for Gadchiroli. I was quite comfortable after our take-off, watching the clouds. I also told Fadnavis to see them. However, during the journey, the helicopter lost its route due to monsoon clouds. Despite this, Fadnavis was quite calm and was chatting with me. I was getting restless and worried. However, Fadnavis told me not to worry saying that he had met with six accidents earlier and escaped safely. He told me that I will also be safe today,” he said.

The NCP chief said Fadnavis repeatedly told him not to worry.

“I was getting worried about a safe landing. But Fadnavis was quite cool. Uday Samant told me to watch out for the landing site. After looking at it from the window, I heaved a sigh of relief,” he added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange on Monday accused Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of supporting his cabinet colleague and NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal’s demand for nullifying the Kunbi evidence in Maharashtra.

Addressing a rally in Nanded, Jarange indicated that candidates of the ruling Mahayuti will be defeated in all 288 seats in the upcoming assembly elections.

“I challenge Devendra Fadnavis. You are giving power to Chhagan Bhujbal. We don’t have a problem with it. But you are making OBCs stand against the Marathas. You should not listen to Chhagan Bhujbal and damage the BJP in the state,” said Jarange, who has been demanding the reservation for the Maratha community by recognising them as Kunbis under the OBC grouping.

“Give us the reservation of our share. But if you listen to Chhagan Bhujbal, your 288 candidates (in upcoming assembly polls) will be defeated. We know that we did not get anything since 1980. But then why are they (Fadnavis) repeating the same mistake? When he gave 13 per cent reservation to Marathas, the community gave 106 MLAs to BJP,” he said.

Jarange alleged the government has said on paper that 57 lakh evidences of ‘Kunbi’ are found.

“Even if we consider three people getting benefit from one piece of evidence, 1.5 crore Marathas went into quota and Bhujbal calls me mad even after this,” he claimed.

Jarange alleged that the agitation (of the OBC community) commenced when Marathas were staging protests for reservation, which means the state is supporting OBC agitators and wants violence.

“We want to win this fight (of agitation) by peace. Marathas and OBCs in villages should remain peaceful,” he added.

He accused the government of conspiring against him.

“They tried to attack me and also appointed an SIT (Special Investigation Team) to put me behind bars. But I am not afraid. Officers from the Maratha community are also being threatened now,” Jarange alleged.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Nagpur:

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday made light of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray’s criticism of the budget by saying the latter had himself once admitted he does not understand it.

The budget for 2024-25 presented in the Assembly earlier in the day by deputy chief minister and finance minister Ajit Pawar brings happiness to all sections of society with various welfare schemes, Mr Fadnavis asserted while speaking to reporters at the airport here.

Mr Thackeray had described the Maharashtra budget as a “torrent of assurances” and a “false narrative” pretending to offer something to every section of society.

“Uddhav Thackeray had earlier said, and that too on stage, that he does not understand the budget. When he has said something like this then there is no need to respond to his comment,” Me Fadnavis asserted.

Answering a query, the deputy chief minister said cotton and soybean farmers, most of whom are from Vidarbha, will get relief from the budget announcements and financial aid will be deposited in their bank accounts directly.

The decision on DBT for them was taken earlier but could not be implemented due to the model code of conduct in force for the Lok Sabha polls, the senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader said.

“Dairy farmers will get subsidy of Rs 5 per litre. The Mukhyamantri Ladki Bahin Yojana, the provision for three free gas cylinders, Rs 10,000 stipend for youth etc have brought happiness to all sections of society. The CM and finance minister have given a very good budget,” he said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Maharashtra is working to install AI-powered cameras in eateries across Pune and the licences of 70 pubs have been cancelled after the horrific Porsche crash in which a teen driver ran over two techies, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said in the state assembly today.

The Porsche crash and its aftermath were at the centre of a massive showdown in the state assembly between the government and the Opposition.

Pune has become a drug haven, the Opposition charged.

Tackling the Opposition’s key question – what action has been taken to prevent such accidents in the future, Mr Fadnavis, also the state Home Minister, said, “After the accident, 70 pub licences have been cancelled in Pune. Work is being done to install AI-enabled cameras to know when the establishment shuts for the day, whether the age of the customer was checked upon entry, and what proof of age was provided on entry. If patrons are allowed entry without proof, action will be taken.”

The teen who was driving the Porsche on May 19 was seen on security footage drinking with his friends in two pubs, unstopped by anyone though he is underage.

Opposition’s “Udta Punjab” Charge

Opposition leader in the Maharashtra Assembly Vijay Waddetiwar claimed Pune is becoming like ‘Udta Punjab’ – a reference to the drug menace in the border state.

“Pune is a city where students come from across the country, but there is no place here where you don’t get drugs. This car, which was without a number plate, was on the roads for six months. How did the police allow it to be on the road for so long? If they are doing something later, or changing blood samples, there must be political reasons for it. Rs 5 lakh was taken as hafta (extortion money) from rooftop hotels in the city and Rs 2.5 lakh from smaller outlets. How were 27 pubs running there without permission? What was the Police Commissioner doing? We need a detailed investigation,” he said.

Countering the explosive charges, Mr Fadnavis said, “Pune is the IT hub and the cultural centre of the state. This is why we should not liken it to “Udta Punjab”.

“I am not here to give a clean chit to anyone. The police have taken a very proactive approach here. There is no need to investigate them. This is a new habit, someone brings a paper and talks about rate cards. Here, the police have undertaken the investigation and the information provided by Mr Waddetiwar will be looked into by us,” the Deputy Chief Minister said.

How did the car without a number plate go unnoticed for six months, the opposition questioned. “They had registered the car but not fulfilled the process. The tax was not paid. We will look into it and see if any RTO officers are involved,” Mr Fadnavis replied.

Mr Fadnavis also defended the Pune Police Commissioner and said that he has done a very proactive job, dismissing calls for action against him.

“The accident happened on May 19 around 2:30 am. The accused was beaten by the people gathered at the spot and was later taken to the police station. The police filed a complaint under Section 304(a) of the Indian Penal Code (causing death by negligence). After officials said that Section 304 of the IPC (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) should be filed, it was added to the case diary the same day,” Mr Fadnavis said, defending the police action in the case.

“We very clearly mentioned before the Juvenile Justice Board that the boy is involved in the accident and he is 17 years old… The police said that he should be treated as an adult.

“After Nirbhaya, we have seen that if a 17-year-old commits a crime, he/she can be treated as an adult,” he explained.

The Home Minister also addressed how the cops moved in promptly to prevent the case from being derailed by a blood swap. “When no alcohol was found in the teen’s blood sample, the police figured that something was wrong. They took the teen’s DNA and that of his family. The match returned positive with his father.

“The investigation continued. Several people were arrested, including a doctor. One of the arrested accused confessed to taking Rs 3 lakh to swap out the sample,” he said.

“Following this, a chargesheet was filed and legal evidence was prepared. The crash impact analysis was investigated, and we knew that the lock speed after he pressed the brakes was 110 kmph.

“We got the CCTV footage from along the route the teen took and all legal and technical evidence are put together,” he said.

“Where Did The Police Go Wrong?”

Further extending the government’s support to the police, the former Maharashtra Chief Minister said, “A case was filed against the teen’s father for giving a car to his underage son, against the bar operator, and against the grandfather for asking their driver to take the fall.

“Where did the police go wrong? When the accused was brought in at 3 am, he should have been sent for a medical test immediately. But that happened at 8:30 am. Secondly, when such crimes happen, they usually charge the accused under Section 304(a). The police also did the same in this case but they ideally should have informed the seniors. Those who did not do their work have been suspended,” he said.

In the early hours of May 19, the teenager, who had been drinking with his friends in two pubs in Pune to celebrate his Class 12 results, rammed a speeding Porsche into a two-wheeler and killed two 24-year-old IT professionals in Pune’s Kalyani Nagar area. Aneesh Awadhiya, who was riding the bike was sent flying and hit a parked car, while Ashwini Koshta – riding pillion – was flung 20 feet into the air. Both died on the spot.

At 17 years and 8 months, the teenager was four months short of the legal age for driving and more than seven years shy of Maharashtra’s legal age for drinking. He was initially granted bail within 15 hours of the accident and asked to write a 300-word essay on traffic safety and assist the traffic cops. Following massive outrage over the court order, the teen was sent to a remand home.

Subsequently, several arrests were made in the case, including the teen’s parents and grandfather. The Bombay High Court recently ordered the teen’s release, saying, “We are bound by law, the aims and objectives of the Juvenile Justice Act and must treat him as any child in conflict with law separately from an adult, despite the seriousness of the crime.”

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today called for a balanced approach while reporting news. Mr Fadnavis was attending the launch of NDTV Marathi, a regional news channel dedicated to serving people of Maharashtra.

He stressed on the need for objectivity and neutrality in journalism and that a news channel’s credibility hinges on its ability to deliver unbiased and accurate information to the public, without succumbing to any external influences or agendas.

NDTV’s foray into Marathi news is a testament to the commitment towards delivering quality journalism to diverse linguistic demographics, the 53-year-old leader said.

He also extended his best wishes to the new channel and the entire media group for embarking on this new venture.

He said that Mumbai is on its way towards becoming the data capital of India while acknowledging the city’s role in India’s economic landscape. “It is evident that infrastructure-led development is shaping the city’s future trajectory,” he added.

Talking about the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, he said the current electoral landscape reflects a notable trend of pro-incumbency, evident in the improved voter turnout observed in the initial phases of the elections in Maharashtra.

However, addressing challenges such as maintaining accurate electoral rolls is crucial to ensure the ease and integrity of the voting process, particularly in migration-heavy cities like Mumbai, he said.

The Deputy Chief Minister emphasised that India could explore implementing measures to incentivise voter participation, akin to Australia’s withdrawal of certain tax benefits for non-voters.

Mumbai:

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday claimed the then chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had told him in 2019 that he would groom his son Aaditya Thackeray as the next CM of Maharashtra as part of the power-sharing agreement between the two parties.

Mr Thackeray also said Mr Fadnavis, a senior BJP leader, had told him that he would move to the Centre in the next two to three years.

Addressing a rally in Dharavi, Mr Thackeray claimed the then BJP chief Amit Shah had come to Matoshree, the private residence of the Thackerays, to seek an alliance with Shiv Sena (undivided).

“At that time, Fadnavis was made to sit outside the room of late Bal Thackeray while the two leaders (Shah and Thackeray) discussed modalities,” he claimed.

It was assured to me that the post of chief minister will be shared for 2.5 years (between BJP and Sena-undivided), he said.

“Later, Devendra Fadnavis told me, Uddhav Ji, I will groom Aaditya for 2.5 years. We can make him CM after 2.5 years. I told him (Fadnavis) that he (Aaditya) is just starting his electoral career. Do not put anything like this in his mind,” Mr Thackeray said.

When I asked Mr Fadnavis how a senior leader like him would work under Aaditya, he (Fadnavis) said he would move to Delhi, he added.

Mr Thackeray’s claim evoked a sharp reaction from Mr Fadnavis, current Deputy Chief Minister in the Mahayuti government of BJP, Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde and NCP led by Ajit Pawar, who said Mr Thackeray has “lost his mind”.

“Uddhav Thackeray has become ‘bhramishta’ (delirious). He is hallucinating. Initially, he said Amit Shah promised him a chief ministership in some room. Now he says I promised to make his son a CM. To hide one falsehood, another lie is being told,” Mr Fadnavis said.

He, however, admitted to having told Mr Thackeray that Aaditya should be trained as he will eventually take control of the party (Shiv Sena) one day.

“Leave alone making him (Aaditya) a chief minister, I wouldn’t make him even a minister. He (Aaditya) became a minister later (when MVA was in power) which landed the Shiv Sena (UBT) in its current situation today,” Mr Fadnavis said.

In his speech, Mr Thackeray slammed Mr Fadnavis for his reference to “some room” during his talks with Mr Shah and said the room of Bal Thackeray is like a temple.

Later Mr Fadnavis posted on X, “We respect late Balasaheb Thackeray because he was always true to his word and never deviated from his ideals. We don’t respect those who sacrificed the ideals of the late leader”.

“Who are you trying to fool by speaking imagined scripts? You are misleading yourself,” he stated while slamming Mr Thackeray.

Mr Fadnavis further said that Maharashtra’s “socio-politics” and development is not a “Salim-Javed” script.

“You have nothing to do with politics and development. So don’t try to get involved in such scripts. You will get a befitting reply,” he said deprecating the senior Thackeray.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said there is a limit to speaking lies.

“He (Uddhav) wanted to become chief minister. As he couldn’t become a CM when he was part of the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance, he switched sides,” Mr Shinde told reporters, referring to Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (undivided) joining hands with the NCP (undivided) and the Congress post the 2019 assembly elections.

Notably, a split engineered by Mr Shinde led to the collapse of the Thackeray-led MVA government in June 2022.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Mumbai:

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday hit back at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for criticising BJP over the electoral bonds scheme and asked whether his party would return the bonds that it has received.

He said Mr Gandhi was critical of electoral bonds as the scheme has stopped his party’s source of black money for funding in elections.

Rahul Gandhi, whose Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will conclude in Mumbai on Saturday, has been targeting the Narendra Modi-led central government over the electoral bonds scheme. He termed the scheme as an extortion racket used by the BJP for toppling governments and breaking political parties.

Talking to reporters after the state cabinet meeting, Mr Fadnavis said, “The BJP is the largest party with 303 MPs, so we got 30 per cent of the total bonds, while the rest of the opposition, including the Congress, received 70 per cent bonds.”

“Will Rahul Gandhi return the electoral bonds that the Congress received? Whom did the party threaten to get the funds?” Mr Fadnavis asked.

The BJP leader said electoral bonds are accounted money that is shown in the balance sheet of political parties as well as that of corporate houses.

“The court will fix the loopholes if there are any in the scheme,” the former CM said.

“Rahul Gandhi’s outburst is because the source of black money of his party has been sealed. Congress wants black money for election funding,” he alleged.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who was present at the press conference, said there was no issue left with Mr Gandhi to speak about.

“He has no right to speak against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Only ‘Modi Guarantee’ works in India and people know it. There is no alternative to him. Rahul Gandhi is upset over Modi’s popularity the world over,” he said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Mumbai:

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today accused  Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray of failing to deliver on the “many chances” given to him by the people of Mumbai during his tenure as the chief minister of the state.

In an exclusive interview with NDTV’s Editor-in-Chief Sanjay Pugalia, Mr Fadnavis claimed that the Eknath Shinde government is forced to fix things in Mumbai that should have been fixed years ago.

“Uddhav Thackeray was given many chances by the people of Mumbai but he did not do anything about it. There is not one iconic thing done or built by him in the city,” Mr Fadnavis told NDTV.

In June 2022, Mr Thackeray resigned as Maharashtra Chief Minister following a mutiny within the Shiv Sena ranks. A split followed and a floor test in the Maharashtra Assembly put Sena leader Eknath Shinde in the chief minister’s chair and Mr Fadnavis was appointed as his deputy. The Shinde faction of the Sena joined hands with the BJP and is currently the ruling party in the state.

Mr Fadnavis slammed Mr Thackeray for his alleged “anti-modi stance and ruled out any possibility of an alliance with his party ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. 

“There is no scope of any such attempts (potential alliance with Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena). You can take note of this. If he is making an attempt, I don’t know. From our end, there is no scope and no reason to do so. The roles he has taken, the anti-Modi role… I am sad that, for vote-bank politics, he is now indulging in pseudo-secular, appeasement politics,” he said in Hindi. 

“He has opposed the Citizenship Amendment Act. I am finding it difficult to understand Bal Thackeray’s son could do so. So I think the groups are now divided,” he added.

On a potential pact with Mr Thackeray’s cousin Raj Thackeray and his Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, Mr Fadnavis said, “We have not begun any alliance talks with Raj Thackeray. We believe in regional identity. Raj Thackeray talks about Marathis while also talking about Hindutva. I won’t say that there is no possibility of any alliance. But, we are three partners in this alliance, so it is difficult to add someone new.”

Mumbai’s Sewage Problem

Praising his government’s work in India’s financial capital, Mr Fadnavis highlighted the sewage water problem in the city.

“The work that is being done in Mumbai today, should have been done 20 years ago,” Mr Fadnavis continued. “There’s so much sewage water in Mumbai. The water goes to the oceans through sceptic tanks built during the British Raj. That’s why some of our beaches stink.”

Last month, the Maharashtra cabinet approved a proposal to extend its Urban Renewal Mission to construct railway overbridges, national highways and sewage treatment plants.

“As soon as we replaced the Uddhav government, we got tenders and we can assure that in the next three years, not a single drop of dirty water will enter our oceans. Mumbai’s beaches will resemble that of foreign countries,” Mr Fadnavis added.

“Uddhav Thackeray said we do not need bullet trains,” Mr Fadnavis said, alluding to the former chief minister’s order to review the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project in 2019. “When we came into power, we worked like a bullet. In the next 2.5 years, you will travel by bullet trains in Maharashtra.”

On Contesting Lok Sabha Elections

With the Lok Sabha elections just weeks ahead, when asked whether he would be contesting the polls, Mr Fadnavis said, “We have announced 20 seats so far in Maharashtra. All the seats from where people thought I would be contesting have been announced. So, there should not be any discussion on this (on him contesting).”

The BJP has announced candidates for 20 out of 48 Lok Sabha constituencies in Maharashtra. The party is in alliance in the state with Mr Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-led NCP.

Mumbai:

Asserting that the NDA will better its record of winning 41 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra in the 2019 elections despite a strong challenge by the Maha Vikas Aghadi, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said every election is not about political arithmetic and the upcoming polls will be about PM Narendra Modi’s chemistry with the people.

In a wide-ranging interview with NDTV’s Editor-In-Chief Sanjay Pugalia on Friday, Mr Fadnavis also spoke about the alliance’s perceived difficulties in seat sharing, infrastructure development in Maharashtra and Mumbai, possible new allies and the shortcomings of the previous government led by former alliance partner Uddhav Thackeray. 

At 48, Maharashtra sends the second-highest number of MPs to the Lok Sabha and when Mr Fadnavis was asked about the complicated politics in the state given the split in the Shiv Sena and the NCP, he said, “It is not about factions or groups. There are two camps, one that is with PM Modi and one that is against him. The people have decided to vote for those who are with the PM, irrespective of the party or symbol.”

On why the BJP had declared the names of 20 candidates for the Lok Sabha elections despite reported difficulties in agreeing on seat-sharing with the Eknath Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena and the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP, Mr Fadnavis said 80% of constituencies had been agreed upon and every party was free to announce the names for those. 

Emphasising that despite pro-incumbency, the BJP always works with its allies and takes them along, Mr Fadnavis refused to confirm the number of seats each party has decided to contest, citing alliance dharma. He also said there is no formula of the BJP taking the lead in the Lok Sabha polls and giving a bigger share to allies in the Assembly elections.

“We have 115 seats in the Assembly, the Sena has 50 and the NCP has 42 or 43. So, we are still the biggest party in the alliance. Our partners also understand that. But I can definitely say that they will be respected. We will also fight and win the Assembly polls together,” he said.

New Alliances?

When he was asked whether there were attempts of allying with Uddhav Thackeray again, Mr Fadnavis dismissed the idea and also criticised the former chief minister’s stand on some issues.

“There is no scope of any such attempts. You can take note of this. If he is making an attempt, I don’t know. From our end, there is no scope and no reason to do so. The roles he has taken, the anti-Modi role… I am sad that, for vote-bank politics, he is now indulging in pseudo-secular, appeasement politics,” he said in Hindi. 

“He has opposed the Citizenship Amendment Act. I am finding it difficult to understand Bal Thackeray’s son could do so. So I think the groups are now divided,” he added.

The BJP leader said that the NDA is confident it will win 400 seats in the Lok Sabha polls but  the party is not complacent. 

On whether the BJP will claim the chief minister’s post, he said, “The Assembly polls are some time away. It’s not about who has a claim. Alliances are about winning in some areas and making some sacrifices. It’s hard to predict anything in politics. Who would have thought Uddhav Thackeray would desert us after 2019?  What I can say is this alliance will contest together and this chief minister will stay till then.”

In an important remark, he said, “This much is true, though, that we had difficulties being allied with him earlier. The problem was that while the BJP believes in regional identity, it also focuses on a national identity. We don’t believe in exclusionary politics. Raj Thackeray has now, in addition to talking about Marathi – which he should – also expanded his thought process.”

“He talks about Hindutva now and that is something which can connect him with us. So while talks are not on, if you had asked me earlier, I would have said we cannot be allied with him, But I won’t say that now. At the same time, we already have three parties in the coalition, and accommodating one more will be a task,” he added. 

‘No Dependence On Agencies’

Dismissing the opposition’s charges about the BJP’s dependence on the Enforcement Directorate and central agencies, Mr Fadnavis said the judiciary won’t allow any agency to cross its limits. At the same time, if there is corruption, the opposition can’t talk about political vendetta, he said.

“You can’t win votes on the basis of ED. The poorer sections of society are convinced that the only one who can benefit them, society and the nation is PM Modi,” he asserted.

Claiming that the BJP will cross the number of seats it had won in 2019 despite the varying numbers projected after opinion polls, the deputy chief minister said, “I think political pundits make a mistake sometimes by thinking every election is about arithmetic. This election is not about political arithmetic, it is about political chemistry. In arithmetic, 1+1 is 2, in political chemistry, 1+1 is 11. The common man’s chemistry is linked with PM Modi. No political pundit is being able to understand this, and nor can they.”

Electoral Bonds, Infra Development

Emphasising that Maratha reservation is being given without denting OBC reservation, Mr Fadnavis also spoke about the electoral bonds issue. 

“The Supreme Court has given an order and the Election Commission is complying. All I can say is that the BJP has always tried to curb the use of black money in elections and pushed for the use of accounted money. I don’t want to get into the right and wrong, but we are getting data because it is accounted money… We have brought in several reforms for political funding,” he said. 

Stating that PM Modi and the Maharashtra government are focusing on infrastructure, Mr Fadnavis pointed to the Atal Setu and the work on the coastal road. Taking another dig at Uddhav Thackeray, he said the stoppage of work on the Metro depot delayed that project, but it will be ready this year, as will the Navi Mumbai airport.

Mr Fadnavis also spoke about the Nagpur and Pune Metro and laid special emphasis on the Vadhvan Port, which, he said, will be able to host even the world’s biggest container ship. “All this is possible because the speed and scale of the Modi government is unprecedented,” he said.

The Deputy Chief Minister also said the redevelopment of Dharavi, Asia’s largest slum, is being done keeping in mind the resettlement of people in the same area. 

“Dharavi is also an economic centre. Keeping that in mind, we will give facilities to enhance production and also give them exemption from paying GST for five years to ease them into the formal economy. The people who settled in Dharavi after 2011 will also be accommodated, maybe some distance away… When the redevelopment is done, people will see how we fought poverty and give rights to the poor,” he said. 

‘Many Chances’

Thanking Chief Minister Shinde for the freedom given to him, Mr Fadnavis said Uddhav Thackeray had not done enough when he had the post. “Uddhav Thackeray was given many chances by the people of Mumbai but he did not do anything with it. There is not one iconic thing done or built by him or people in his party in the city,” he claimed.

The deputy chief minister said the plan for a Shivaji Statue off coast of Mumbai was stuck because of litigation and the bullet train project was delayed because of Mr Thackeray, but has now taken off “like a bullet again”. He also said the Mumbai racecourse is not going anywhere, but a huge park will be built around it. 

Nagpur:

Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today said Union minister Nitin Gadkari’s name would be the first in the list of BJP candidates once the ruling alliance in the state finalizes its seat-sharing agreement for the Lok Sabha elections.

Speaking to reporters in Nagpur, the BJP leader pooh-poohed Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray’s offer of a Lok Sabha ticket to Gadkari from the opposition’s Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).

“(Nitin) Gadkari is our prominent leader. He contests from Nagpur. When the first list of candidates (of BJP) was released, there had been no discussions among Mahayuti partners (BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-led NCP)….When the discussions take place, Gadkari ji’s name would come up first (in the candidates’ list),” Mr Fadnavis said.

Uddhav Thackeray’s own party was in shambles, Mr Fadnavis said, adding, “The chief of such a party giving offer to a national-level leader like Gadkari ji is akin to a small-time person offering someone the post of US President.”

Speaking at a rally on Thursday, Uddhav Thackeray had said Nitin Gadkari should show “Maharashtra’s mettle” and resign instead of “bowing before Delhi”. “We will ensure his election as an MVA candidate,” Mr Thackeray said.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)