Maharashtra: Aaditya Thackeray Urges Fadnavis To Act Before Cabinet Expansion

Ahead of the anticipated cabinet expansion in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray has raised serious allegations against former Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and two other ministers, urging Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to exclude them from the upcoming cabinet. Thackeray, in a scathing post on social media, claimed that Shinde, along with Mangal Prabhat Lodha and Deepak Kesarkar, were allegedly involved in a ₹12,000 crore road scam, which he says involves the misuse of public funds in the state.

Thackeray has been vocal about the alleged corruption and poor implementation of road infrastructure projects in Mumbai. He specifically pointed to the BMC’s 400 KM road concretization project, which he had criticized in January 2023. Thackeray had written a letter to the then-BMC commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal, warning that the project could result in widespread flooding in Mumbai. He further alleged that the contracts for the roads were awarded at a 66% higher cost, making it a case of massive overcharging, benefiting contractors and politicians at the expense of the taxpayers.

While the BMC had denied the allegations, Thackeray has continued to press the issue, stating that the BJP-led government has been complicit in supporting the Shinde-led regime despite the ongoing scandal. Thackeray’s remarks come at a time when the BJP has also called for an investigation into the shoddy road work, adding weight to his claim that there is merit to the allegations.

In his post, Thackeray emphasized that if the BJP government is truly committed to addressing the scam, it must exclude Shinde, Lodha, and Kesarkar from the cabinet. He stressed that the public’s money, particularly that which was meant for Mumbai’s infrastructure, had been “wasted” for the benefit of corrupt politicians and contractors.

As the winter session of the Maharashtra Assembly approaches, with the cabinet expansion scheduled for Sunday, Thackeray is calling for a formal inquiry into the alleged road scam to ensure accountability and transparency.

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