Eknath Shinde asked to resign? Aaditya Thackeray's big claim amid NCP split

"I have heard that CM (Eknath Shinde) has been asked to resign and there might be some change (in the govt)," Aaditya Thackeray said.

Days after Ajit Pawar led a ‘coup’ in Maharashtra politics with eight other NCP MLAs and amid buzz of a cabinet rejig, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Friday claimed that Eknath Shinde’s chief ministerial post may be in jeopardy. His predictions on ‘changes in the government’ comes as reports emerged of trouble brewing in the Shinde camp over fears of being sidelined by the BJP and Pawar’s elevation.

Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Aaditya Thackeray addresses a press conference, at Matoshree, in Mumbai. (ANI)

Read: NCP crisis: Eknath Shinde, supporters uneasy as Ajit Pawar says 'want to be CM'

"I have heard that CM (Eknath Shinde) has been asked to resign and there might be some change (in the govt)," Aaditya said.

However, Shinde has denied a revolt in Shiv Sena over NCP leaders’ induction and asserted that there was no threat to his position.

Dismissing speculations of a new chief minister, BJP state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule said the Opposition was building confusion on purpose and that Shinde will remain CM. "We are not resignation givers but takers... all this (reports of discontent) is being done to malign Shinde," Shiv Sena leader Uday Samant added.

Cabinet expansion

A year after its formation, the Shinde-Fadnavis government is expected to go for a second cabinet expansion next week. Five to six leaders each from Shiv Sena and BJP are likely to be inducted in the cabinet, HT had earlier reported.

As a member of the faction that had separated from the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena last year, Shinde held a meeting with Fadnavis for the second day in a row on Friday. On Thursday, a late-night meeting between the two was held to discuss power sharing amid reports of differences within the alliance.

Read: Don’t take ‘khokhe’ jibe lightly, Shinde tells his MLAs

NCP split

Ajit Pawar currently shares the deputy chief minister post with BJP's Devendra Fadnavis.

On Sunday, Ajit split the NCP as he joined the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance and took oath as the state's deputy chief minister for the fifth time. Later, Shiv Sena (UBT) faction’s Sanjay Raut announced that around 20 MLAs from Shinde's faction were in contact with his party since Ajit’s rebellion.

Aaditya attacks Shinde over ‘monsoon mismanagement’

On Friday, Aaditya stepped up his attack against Shinde by saying that Mumbai was facing water-logging from the first monsoon rains as nine municipal wards are without Assistant Commissioners (Ward Officers).

Adding that Mumbai's infrastructure had "completely collapsed", he accused the Shinde government of playing favourites, Aaditya wrote, “Gaddars have chosen their favourite junior officials not from the AO cadre to run their corrupt will in the ward, under obligations. Mumbai is facing dual robbery under the khoke regime: loot of its money and reputation.”

He further wrote that the citizens were bearing the brunt of an “illegal CM indulging in a political circus to save his chair”.

(With inputs from agencies)