Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday caused a stir after he said that his party is not the "key decision-maker" in Maharashtra where it is part of a coalition government led by Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray.
The Congress leader said that the Congress party, a constituent which of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), only supports the state government.
Gandhi's remarks came a day after Maharashtra's former chief minister and BJP leader Narayan Rane met state Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, demanding the president's rule in the state, saying Uddhav Thackeray-led government has failed to tackle the Coronavirus crisis.
"I would like to make a differentiation here. We are supporting the government in Maharashtra but we are not the key decision-makers in Maharashtra. We are the key decision-maker in Punjab, in Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Puducherry. So there is a difference between running a government and supporting a government," Gandhi said in a video press conference.
The MVA consists of Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress. Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday slammed the opposition and said that the coalition government in Maharashtra is strong and rejected any possibility of the president's rule in the state.
Congress has alleged that BJP leaders are attempting to destabilise the government in the state amid the pandemic. The party's state president Balasaheb Thorat said on Tuesday: "BJP leaders in the state are greedy for power. They cannot think of helping the government in the current
situation. They are trying to destabilise the government."
However, he saidt here was nothing to worry about the survival of the government, as the "ruling dispensation is stable and functioning properly."
Thorat was asked why no Congress leader is seen around CM Thackeray or NCP chief Sharad Pawar, he said, "We are in touch with each other over phones. Nothing should be read into such appearances or disappearances".
Maharashtra continues to be the worst-affected state due to Covid-19 with 52,667 reported cases and 1,695 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
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The opposition in the state have been attacking the state government saying it failed to contain the spread of the deadly virus.
Meanwhile, NCP leader Sanjay Raut, in a tweet said that "Corona's vaccine and the dose of toppling the Thackeray government by the Opposition is yet to be found."
"It would be right for the opposition to quarantine immediately," he added.
(With agency inputs)
