Anant Geete to quit Union Cabinet after PM Modi returns: Uddhav Thackeray

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray announced here on Monday that Heavy Industries Minister and lone Shiv Sena member in the Union Cabinet Anant Geete will submit his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi after he returns from the United States.

"After Prime Minister Modi returns from the United States, Anant Geete will meet and submit his resignation from the Central Government," said Thackeray.

However, BJP leader Rajiv Pratap denied reports of his party demanding Geete's resignation, saying that if Uddhav Thackeray wants Anant Geete to resign, then it is their decision which seems natural to me, but the BJP made no such demand.

"Uddhav Thackeray has said that his minister in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, Anant Geete would resign from the government, this demand has not been made by the BJP. It seems natural as they have split out in Maharashtra on their own, they have proposed and they have said that they want to stay away from the government; it is their decision which looks very natural today," said Rudy.

The BJP had ended its 25-year-old alliance with the Shiv Sena on Thursday and decided to contest the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections with smaller allied parties.

Maharashtra will go to polls on October 15, while the counting of votes will take place on October 18. There are 288 assembly seats in Maharashtra.