Major reshuffle in Maharashtra govt in coming weeks, says Vijay Wadettiwar

Vijay Wadettiwar. File Pic

Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra assembly Vijay Wadettiwar on Saturday claimed that there will be major changes in the state government, including the "main seat", in the coming weeks, reported news agency PTI.

The BJP, Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and an NCP faction under Ajit Pawar are the ruling partners in the Maharashtra government. Ajit Pawar broke away from the Sharad Pawar-founded NCP and joined the government last month.

Speaking to reporters, Wadettiwar said Maharashtra will witness major changes in the state government in a few weeks, reported PTI.

"There will be a change in the main seat. I'm not saying that there will be a change of government, but the main seat will change in September," said the senior Congress leader.

After joining hands with the ruling dispensation last month, Ajit Pawar became the second deputy CM, while 8 of his party colleagues were sworn in as ministers.

Senior BJP leader and former CM Devendra Fadnavis is the other deputy CM.

In June 2022, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government fell after Shinde mounted a revolt and split the Shiv Sena. Shinde then tied up with the BJP to occupy the top post.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar on Thursday sought a 'white paper' on the condition of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Thane's Kalwa, which hit the headlines after 18 persons died in a 24-hour period on Saturday and Sunday.

Wadettiwar, who is the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, was speaking to reporters after visiting the sprawling facility and holding discussions with Thane Municipal Corporation additional commissioner (health services) Sandeep Malvi, medical superintendent Dr Aniruddha Malgaonkar and dean Dr Rakesh Barot.

Blaming the civic body for the deaths, Wadettiwar said the kin of the deceased must be given Rs 10 lakh each as compensation.

More than 50 per cent of the permanent posts at the hospital are vacant, including that of cardiologist, neurosurgeon and oncologist, and critical patients are sometimes not visited by specialists even after 48 hours of admission, he alleged.

Due to reasons best known to it, the TMC had refused to hand over the hospital to the Maharashtra government when such a request was made during the time Prithviraj Chavan was chief minister, Wadettiwar said.

He slammed the Eknath Shinde government and questioned how it planned to recruit doctors for hospitals in remote areas of the state in Vidarbha, Gadchiroli or Konkan when it is not able to do so at a facility in Thane near Mumbai.

(With inputs from PTI)