15 July,2026 04:30 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Pic/X
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday said his meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi was a goodwill visit focused on development works in the constituencies represented by six Members of Parliament (MPs).
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Shinde said, "It was a goodwill visit, and six of our MPs were there. They held a meeting, and the discussion focused on development works in their constituencies."
Commenting on the upcoming Parliament Monsoon Session, Shinde said, "It has rained today; the Monsoon Session will be good."
During his interaction with the media, Eknath Shinde also criticised the previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government and highlighted the Narendra Modi government's welfare initiatives.
He said, "Before 2014, many scams took place in the country, such as the Commonwealth scam, the fodder scam, the coal scam. This is why in 2014, the public removed the UPA (Congress) government and brought in Prime Minister Modi. In these 12 years, the country has progressed. The Congress used to say 'remove poverty,' but did poverty get removed? The poor got removed, but poverty didn't. During his tenure, Prime Minister Modi lifted 32 crore people above the poverty line. The Modi government is providing free grain to 80 crore people."
Responding to Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) MP Supriya Sule's remarks that her party would first study the delimitation Bill before deciding whether to support it, Shinde said he welcomed the possibility of support and accused the INDIA bloc of adopting an inconsistent stand on the issue.
He said, "If they support the Bill, it will be a welcome step. However, I believe they are already inclined to support it. The INDIA bloc is completely confused. One leader says something, and then another has to hold a press conference a day later to clarify it. Union Home Minister Amit Shah had clearly stated in Parliament that the increase would apply to every state, not just BJP- or NDA-ruled states. So I do not know where they have brought this new issue from. They are merely looking for reasons to oppose the Bill. If they have realised that opposing delimitation and the Women's Reservation Bill would invite public backlash, as happened in West Bengal, then supporting the Bill is the right decision. They should support both the Women's Reservation Bill and delimitation. Both these Bills should be passed, and I am confident they will be passed."
Shinde also defended the induction of six MPs into the Shiv Sena, stating that the move complied with all legal and constitutional requirements.
He said, "These six MPs have joined us with the support of the required two-thirds majority. Before taking this step, we completed all legal formalities after consulting constitutional and legal experts. The six legislators submitted the necessary documents, including written representations and audio-video evidence, to the Lok Sabha Speaker as part of the prescribed procedure, and all due formalities were duly completed. In a democracy, the majority holds significance. With these six MPs joining us, the Shiv Sena's strength has increased. Everything has been done in accordance with the law and through the established legislative and parliamentary procedures."
