This is beginning of fall of Maharashtra govt: Fadnavis after Sena's minister offered to resign

Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday took a jibe at the Maha Vikas Aghadi after Shiv Sena leader Abdul Sattar offered to step down as a minister and said this is the "beginning of the fall of this government".

Addressing a rally here for the Zilla Parishad election, Fadnavis targetted the Sena-NCP-Congres-led government in Maharashtra for the delay in allotting portfolios to the ministers.

"A month's time was taken for the expansion of the ministry. Even after a week, they are unable to allot portfolios. And now even before portfolio allotment takes place, one minister has already resigned. This is the beginning of the fall of this government," said he.

However, speaking to media, Sattar's son Sameer Sattar said: "I have no information about this. Only he can speak about this. I am sure he will speak soon, better to wait and watch."Sattar was among the 36 Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena leaders who were sworn-in as ministers on December 30.

Cornering Shiv Sena for betraying the BJP after state Assembly elections, Fadnavis said: "We have witnessed two elections in 2019. In the Lok Sabha election, people showed faith in the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and gave 41 out of 48 seats in Maharashtra."

"During the Assembly election too, the people gave a clear mandate to the BJP (105 seats) and Sena (56 seats). But the Shiv Sena backstabbed the mandate and went with the rejected parties and betrayed the people of Maharashtra," he said.

Fadnavis added that the "Sena has insulted the people's mandate; they have insulted the people's faith and formed a government against the people's will and wishes.