Belgaum case: CM Thackeray appoints Shinde, Bhujbal as

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday appointed ministers Chhagan Bhujbal and Eknath Shinde as co-ordinators to oversee his government's efforts to expedite the case related to the boundary dispute with Karnataka.

The dispute between Maharashtra and Karnataka over Belgaum and other border areas is pending before the Supreme Court for many years.

Thackeray also announced that the state government will hold a meeting of the lawyers who are representing Maharashtra in the court soon, a statement from the Chief Minister's Office said.

Thackeray himself will discuss the case with senior lawyer Harish Salve, the statement said.

Holding a meeting on the long-pending boundary dispute, the chief minister announced that Bhujbal and Shinde will be act as co-ordinators for the legal battle.

Maharashtra claims certain areas including Belgaum, Karwar and Nippani which are part of Karnataka, contending that the majority of population in these areas is Marathi- speaking.

Thackeray said in the meeting that political differences should not come in way of speedy resolution of the dispute.

"I want to ensure that Maharashtra's position is strong in the court. Everyone should come together to resolve the dispute," he added.

The state government will make every effort to fast-track the case, and advocate Salve will be requested to seek an early hearing from the court, he said.

Apart from ministers Jayant Patil, Bhujbal, Shinde, Nitin Raut and Subhash Desai, Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti leaders Manohar Kinekar, Arvind Patil, Digambar Patil and Belgaum Tarun Bharat editor Kiran Thakur were present in the meeting.

The Samiti is in the forefront of Marathi-speakers' agitation for merger of Belgaum and other areas with Maharashtra.