By Ritvick Arun Bhalekar: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde hinted at more Opposition MLAs willing to join the Shiv Sena-BJP government in near future by referring to the ongoing ‘missing link’ project on the Mumbai-Pune expressway, while speaking in an exclusive interview on Mumbai Tak Baithak.
CM Shinde said that the work was in progress on the infrastructure project where a tunnel was being built to by-pass the ghat section, which will connect Khalapur to Sinhagad institute near Pune. He also claimed that the access control would make the passage smooth for travellers.
However, Sahil Joshi, Managing Editor of India Today, was quick to ask if the missing link work was undergoing in Pune or Baramati, indirectly hinting him about the Ajit Pawar, who is an MLA for the same (Baramati) constituency.
CM Shinde carefully avoided any names but clarified that the opposition was spreading rumours about the Supreme Court verdict going against the BJP-Sena government, so that the remaining MLAs of the Shiv Sena (UBT) did not leave them.
Similarly, Rajdeep Sardesai, Consultiong Editor of India Today, asked CM Shinde whether Opposition leader Ajit Pawar was ready with a ‘Plan B’ to join BJP in case the Supreme Court disqualified their MLAs and the government collapsed.
CM Shinde said that everyone should wait till the judgment delivered and the picture would be clear. “There is no point in reacting on assumptions,” Shinde said.
“Similarly, many MLAs from all the parties come to take my signatures to get their work done. They keep on meeting me regularly,” Shinde clarified on Opposition MLAs visiting him.
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