Uddhav govt stable, allies met CM over Covid-19: Maharashtra minister Shinde

Maharashtra minister and Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde has dismissed the speculation that allies are unhappy with CM Uddhav Thackeray over handling of Covid-19. Divyesh Singh reports

Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday dismissed the speculation that differences are growing within the ruling Mahavikas Aghadi (MVA). He asserted that all talks of "disputes and issues" among the alliance partners are rumours.

Shinde said, "I don't know anything about government's instability or issues between the allies. I am hearing this from the media. All members of our ally parties were present. We have 170 MLAs of the coalition and the government under the leadership Uddhav Thackeray is functioning in the best possible way."

"The focus remains on containing the spread of Covid-19 and improving the discharge rate. The government of Mahavikas Aghadi under leadership of Uddhav Thackeray is facing no issues and we are doing everything with no any disputes between coalition partners."

Shinde's statement followed a meeting between Mahavikas Aghadi leaders with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray at his official residence Varsha Bungalow in Mumbai. Shinde said the allies discussed Covid-19 situation with CM Uddhav during their meet.

Shinde said the meeting was called to discuss on how to decrease the mortality rate in Covid-19 related cases in Maharashtra and increase discharge rate of infected patients.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, cabinet minister Jayant Patil from NCP, Balasaheb Thorat, Varsha Gaikwad, Aslam Shaikh from Congress, and Subhash Desai and Eknath Shinde of the Shiv Sena were present for the meeting that lasted over two-and-a-half hours.

Mumbai's police commissioner Parambir Singh was among the senior officials who were present at the meeting.

Shinde said the meeting controlling Covid-19 death rate is a priority for the coalition government. The Covid-19 death rate has decline in Maharashtra from seven per cent earlier to 3.2 per cent now. The discharge rate has also improved from 25 per cent to 40 per cent.

A thousand-bed quarantine facility has been created at BKC (Bandra Kurla Complex). Another thousand bed facility is being created close to BKC. Similar facilities are being created at Nesco compound and various other places. Around 14,000-bed facilities are being created in Mumbai itself, Shinde said.

Sharing some of the issues and topics discussed at the meeting, Shinde said measures to make arrangement for new oxygenated beds, non-oxygenated beds, ICUs and other facilities were discussed at the meeting.

Similar facilities are to be created at other places such as Thane, Kalyan, Dombivali, Pimpri, Chinchwad, Pune, Aurangabad and Malegaon.