Days after the BJP's Maharashtra chief Chandrashekar Bawankule set tongues wagging with his statement, indicating that present Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis might take over as the next CM, state minister and Shiv Sena leader Deepak Kesarkar on Tuesday said there is no need to take the leader of the ruling ally seriously.

"Chandrashekar Bawankule is a leader of the BJP, our ally, but there is no need to take his words seriously. The BJP's high command is in regular communication with Devendra Fadnavis and he himself has asserted that Eknath Shinde will be the chief ministerial face (of the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena alliance) in next year's Assembly elections," Kesarkar, also the spokesperson for the Shiv Sena, said at a press briefing on Tuesday.