Maharashtra rebel’s cost of this democracy is Rs 18355715.08

After the Maharashtra Legislative Council elections held on June 20, the politics of the state has changed. After the election, Shiv Sena leader and minister Eknath Shinde reached Surat in Gujarat with about 30 MLAs with him. The game of Shinde Sena vs Shiv Sena started from here.

This is the third attempt to topple the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, which has been running in Maharashtra for almost two and a half years. Shinde has been out of Maharashtra for nearly eight days with him along with Shiv Sena and some independent MLAs. He first took these MLAs to Surat and then from there to Guwahati.

Amidst the chaos in the politics of the state, allegations are being made that the BJP is the architect of this entire theatre. She is controlling this entire game from behind the scenes. However, BJP leaders are denying this. Amidst all this, a day before on Tuesday, Eknath Shinde came out of the hotel in Guwahati and told the media that he can meet Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari soon.

Meanwhile, Devendra Fadnavis met Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP President JP Nadda in Delhi. Fadnavis has also met Maharashtra Governor Koshyari. Eknath Shinde says that he has not left Shiv Sena. He is taking the ideology of Balasaheb Thackeray forward.

Democracy in Maharashtra has been hanging in the balance for the past ten days between Shinde’s unbroken dedication to Bal Thackeray and the BJP’s dedication to democracy. What is the economic cost of this dedication? By spending how much is Eknath Shinde furthering the ideology of Balasaheb Thackeray?

Other expenses –

▪️Bus from Le Meridien Hotel in Surat to Surat Airport

▪️Bus from Guwahati airport to Radisson Blu Hotel

▪️Legal battle costs

▪️The cost of security (use of public money) being provided by the Assam government to the MLAs outside the hotel

▪️The expenses of the day and night hospitality of the rebel MLAs of Maharashtra by the Chief Minister of Assam and the MLAs leaving all their work.

BJP is denying its hand behind the breakup of Shiv Sena MLAs. But it seems impossible for the Shinde faction to do it all alone. Shinde himself had said in a conversation with the MLAs at the hotel, “It is a national party. A superpower, who defeated Pakistan, they have told me that whatever decision I have taken is historic, and they will be there whenever we need them.”

#WATCH | Rebel Maharashtra Shiv Sena MLAs in Guwahati unanimously chose Eknath Shinde their leader. pic.twitter.com/tuhL93rSfV

— ANI (@ANI) June 23, 2022

An Assam journalist who covers the BJP, on condition of anonymity, says, “No one can go to the hotel without the orders of the Chief Minister of Assam. All this is happening under his supervision.”

He further says, “Before the MLAs came here, the hotel was told to cancel all bookings. A couple from Bangalore who had already booked were not even allowed to enter the hotel. His booking was canceled without informing him. The people who were already there are the only ones, no new bookings are taking place.”

On July 5, 2021, 12 BJP MLAs were suspended for one year by the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker for allegedly misbehaving in the House. The BJP went to the Supreme Court against this. The case was fought by senior advocates Siddharth Bhatnagar and Neeraj Kishan Kaul. Now the petition filed by Eknath Shinde and Bharat Gogavale in the Supreme Court is also being fought by Siddharth Bhatnagar and Neeraj Kishan Kaul. What is this relation?

Shinde faction has not said anything on its expenses so far. He says that all the MLAs themselves have come here on their own volition.

In Maharashtra, every MLA gets one lakh 60 thousand rupees as a month’s salary.

But till now the expenditure incurred on the stay, food and travel of the MLAs comes to about Rs 18355715.08. In this way, if the expenditure of one MLA is seen, then it is coming to about Rs 382410.73. That is, more than one month’s earnings of MLAs have been spent in just eight days. This is the price of this democracy.

We have sent some questions to Eknath Shinde regarding expenses. Will be added to the news when the answer is received.