Saamana, the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Bal Thackeray) mouthpiece, has, in its editorial on February 26, praised Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for taking a firm stance against corruption to discipline the administration in the state. The editorial has hailed Fadnavis’ government’s decision to “take away the powers” of ministers to appoint personal secretaries and officers on special duty (OSDs).
The Marathi-language publication also took a direct swipe at Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in the same editorial, saying that during Shinde’s previous government, fixers and brokers were fostered, and they had a free run. The newspaper also alleges that regulations were nor enforced to check corruption in Maharashtra, which led to severe financial mismanagement and the decay of politics under Shinde.
“Devendra Fadnavis has initiated stern steps to bring discipline in governance. In the last three years, corruption was at its peak. Politics had therefore turned rotten in a state like Maharashtra. Financial discipline had gone for a toss,” reads the editorial, as reported by The Indian Express.
“We congratulate CM Fadnavis for the steps he is taking,” it said.
This is the second time the Shiv Sena (UBT) mouthpiece has praised Fadnavis in two months. In January, Saamana hailed the chief minister for his visit to the Naxal-hit Gadchiroli district.
The praise for Fadnavis is being seen as an attempt by Shiv Sena (UBT) to increase its proximity to the chief minister and the BJP at a time when his relationship with Shinde has reportedly soured.
“The chief minister has taken away the powers of ministers to appoint personal secretaries and OSDs. The ministers had sent as many as 125 names to the chief minister, who rejected 16 names,” the newspaper said.
‘Fixers have been disapproved’
“All these fixers have been disapproved by the chief minister. His stand that he will not allow fixers to be reappointed is appropriate. Now, it has come to light that out of these 16 fixers, 12 were suggested by ministers from the Shinde faction. Why should ministers need such fixers?” it asked.
While it showered praises at Fadnavis, the editorial took digs at Shinde, his deputy. It alleged that the anti-corruption drive by Fadnavis has shaken the Shinde Sena.
“A ₹500 crore tender was inflated to ₹3,000 crore and in between ₹1,000 crore was siphoned off even before commencement of the project. Out of this ₹100 to ₹200 crore was to be distributed among Shinde Sena loyalists and now all of the money is being used by taking them for a holy dip in the Ganga at Prayagraj,” reads the editorial.
There have been reports of possible cracks within the Mahayuti alliance three months after it won the Maharashtra elections by a landslide. Even Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut praised Fadnavis. “We have political differences but I must congratulate the CM for taking the decision to stop certain people from being appointed as PAs and OSDs…he has taken tough decisions and those decisions are in the larger interest of the state and hence we support him,” Raut was quoted as saying in Mumbai.
On December 5, 2024, Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Fadnavis was sworn in chief minister of Maharashtra for the third term. Shiv Sena chief Eknath hinde and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) head Ajit Pawar also took oath as deputy chief ministers during the star-studded event, which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and top brass from the BJP.
Fadnavis was the Deputy Chief Minister in CM Shinde-led government in the previous Mahayuti regime.
