Shouldn't we offer tea to people who come to CM residence? asks Shinde

Reacting to NCP leader Ajit Pawar's allegations that the food and drinks bill of Maharashtra Chief Minister's residence has amounted to two crore and 68 lakhs in the last four months, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that people from far flung areas of the state come to the Chief Minister's residence with their requests and demands and they are offered tea and water there.

"Does he not know that thousands of people come from far flung areas to meet the Chief Minister everyday. Should we not give them even tea or water?," the CM said.

"They are given tea, not biriyani. It is in our culture that when someone comes they are offered tea and water," he added and said that when Uddhav Thackrey was the CM, 34 lakh rupees were spent even though the entire process was online.

Attacking Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Pawar on sunday said that the food and drinks bill at the Chief Minister's bunglow has reached to 2 crores and 68 lakhs on four months.

The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi on Sunday organised a top level meeting in Mumbai, ahead of the Budget session in the Maharashtra state assembly. Senior Aghadi leaders like Ajit Pawar, Aditya Thackeray, Chhagan Bhujbal, Ambadas Danve, Jitendra Awhad, Anil Parab and others attended the meeting.

The meeting was held to discuss the strategy of the alliance ahead of the budget session of the assembly which begins on Monday.

Many files are lying idle in the government departments. The government is not paying any attention to the common man.

Ajit Pawar has demanded a caste based census in Maharashtra in the manner in which it was conducted in Bihar.

"If Bihar government can do it, why not the Maharashtra Government," said the opposition leader.

Standing by Uddhav Thackeray's statement of a mid-term election in the state, Pawar said, "There has been a demand in the past also to hold the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections together and such a possibility can be created in 2024.