Shiv Sena (UBT) praises CM Fadnavis for 'taking stern steps to tackle corruption'

Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is taking tough measures to curb corruption, the opposition Shiv Sena (UBT) has said, praising his recent decision to reject the names for personal aides recommended by certain ministers.

In an editorial in Saamana, its mouthpiece, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party also took potshots at deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde who heads the rival Shiv Sena and whose relations with Fadnavis are currently strained.

Earlier in January, Saamana had unexpectedly praised Fadnavis when he visited the Naxal-affected Gadchiroli district and announced that steel industry will be promoted there.

"Devendra Fadnavis has taken stern steps to bring discipline in the state's governance," the editorial published in Wednesday's issue said, adding that he has started "cleaning up the drains" (of corruption).

Notably, this is the second time in recent weeks that the Sena (UBT) newspaper praised Fadnavis, though the party had once blamed Fadnavis for splitting the undivided Shiv Sena and targeted him consistently.

The editorial said Fadnavis took yet another important decision by `taking away' ministers' power to appoint personal assistants (PAs) and officers on special duty (OSDs).

On Monday, the chief minister said he had approved 109 out of 125 names sent by cabinet ministers for appointment as PAs and OSDs, but rejected 16 persons as they were either facing inquiries or were known to be "fixers".

Fadnavis nixed these names because they were acting as "middlemen", the Sena (UBT) said, claiming further that 12 of these names were proposed by ministers of the Shinde-led Shiv Sena.

Middlemen had a free run of the `Mantralaya' (state headquarters) when Shinde was chief minister, it alleged.

The editorial also claimed that a realtor close to Shinde had fled the country as Fadnavis, after taking over as CM, was "cleaning up the mess".

Shinde had `complained' to the top BJP leadership against Fadnavis, it said.