Uddhav Thackeray govt will be short-lived, claims BJP's Rane

Amid reports of strife in the Aurangabad unit of the ruling Shiv Sena and rumours of a state minister submitting his resignation, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Narayan Rane on Saturday said the Uddhav Thackeray-led government in Maharashtra will be "short-lived". Talking to reporters in Solapur, Rane said portfolios had not been allocated to minister more than a month after the installation of the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government.

"Ministers have taken bungalows and office cabins, but are still without portfolios. This government is not functioning," he claimed. Targeting Thackeray, he said the Sena chief did not have any administrative experience.

Amid speculation that the Sena's Abdul Sattar had resigned from the government, Rane said, "This government will be short-lived. More legislators will follow suit (resign). This is just the beginning." However, there is no clarity on whether Sattar has resigned.

Senior Sena leader Anil Desai and former MLA Arjun Khotkar said Sattar had not resigned, while the Sillod MLA himself remained incommunicado through the day. Earlier in the day, former Aurangabad MP and senior Sean leader Chandrakant Khaire had hit out at Sattar, accusing him of helping the BJP win the post of vice president in the civic body of that city.

Sattar had joined the Sena from the Congress ahead of the October Assembly polls, and was made minister of state in the cabinet expansion that took place on December 30..

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