Bets on toppling Maha Vikas Aghadi government by October: Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut

MUMBAI: Reiterating that there is no threat to the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by Uddhav Thackeray, Shiv Sena politician Sanjay Raut has said that though people were placing bets that the government would be toppled at any cost by October, it would remain just a dream.
On the 12 vacant seats in the governor’s quota in the legislative council, Raut said that the BJP did not want the MVA to recommend its members to be nominated to the upper house and want to delay the appointments till October as it was aiming to form a new government, after which it would fill vacant seats with its members.
Raut, a Rajya Sabha member and executive editor of the party mouthpiece Saamna, in his weekly column ‘Rokhthok’ hit out at the BJP in the state as well as in New Delhi.
“Despite the country facing Covid-19 pandemic, gaining political mileage has not stopped. It still persists, even with the tension brewing at the border and during the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.
Referring to media reports, Raut said governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari was not in favour of filling up the 12 seats in the council till September even if the state recommended the names. The governor has indicated to the government that the current pandemic situation is not conducive to complete the selection process, said Raut in his column.
“It would be a violation of the constitution, legislature and suppression of freedom, like an emergency, if the governor is not able to nominate the MLCs in time,” he said.
The vacancies in the upper house are a result of resignations and retirement of nominated members. Since June 15, the number of vacant nominated seats has been 12, but the state government has not yet recommended any names to the governor to seek his approval.
There was also resentment over the seat-sharing among the MVA members, as the Shiv Sena wanted five of the 12 seats while the NCP wanted four, leaving just three for the Congress.
The Congress has demanded equal sharing of seats, saying the three main parties should each get four seats.