Karnataka-Maharashtra border dispute: Bommai to chair meet with legal team

With the Eknath Shinde government in Maharashtra deputing two ministers to track the Belagavi border dispute with Karnataka, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has scheduled a meeting with the state’s legal team on Tuesday.

“We’ve formed a formidable legal team comprising senior counsels Mukul Rohatgi, Shyam Dewan, Uday Holla, Belagavi-based Maruti Jirle and advocate-on-record Raghupati,” Bommai said.

“They’ve held a couple of meetings already. On Tuesday evening, I’m holding a video conference with them. I’m also writing to opposition leaders on Tuesday morning about the measures we’ve taken so far,” he said.

The Shinde government on Monday reportedly appointed ministers Chandrakant Patil and Shambhuraj Desai to coordinate with the Maharashtra legal team for the court case on the border dispute.

“Maharashtra's plea has not found maintainability in all these years. We are prepared to argue that it is not maintainable,” Bommai said.

“There’s no example till date to show that what has been done under the States Reorganisation Act was reviewed,” Bommai said. “In Maharashtra, the border dispute is a political tool used by all parties. They won’t be successful in their attempts. Justice is in our favour,” he said.