I am not Uddhav Thackeray to stall projects: Devendra Fadnavis

Mumbai: Amid the reported cold war between the Maha Yuti-NDA allies, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said that he was not like Uddhav Thackeray who stayed running development projects.

Fadnavis’ statement came at a time when there are reports of rift between him and Deputy CM and Shiv Sena chief leader Eknath Shinde and projects being stalled when the latter was at the helm of affairs.

"I am not (former CM) Uddhav Thackeray to stay ongoing projects... Whatever decisions taken when Shinde Saheb was CM were not taken by him alone. But they were mine and Ajit Pawar's responsibility as well," Fadnavis said in his reply to the motion of thanking the Governor C P Radhakrishnan for his address to the joint sitting of Maharashtra legislature on the inaugural day of budget session.

The statement of Fadnavis came on a day when builder Ajay Ashar, a close associate Shinde, was removed from the position of Vice Chairman of Maharashtra Institution for Transformation (MITRA).

“Even if the Divisional Commissioner stays a scheme or project if they don't fulfill Central government guidelines, it is said the stay has been put by me,” he said.

It may be recalled that before the budget session, Shinde had twice said “mujhe halke me mat lena” (don’t take me lightly), however, later said that there is everything “thanda thanda cool cool” between the alliance partners. Even Pawar, has said that he has not yet understood Shinde’s jibe was meant for whom.