Shinde, Fadnavis meet PM, also call on President Kovind, Rajnath in Delhi

 

 

 

MAHARASHTRA Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, their first meeting after the new Government assumed office in the State. Shinde and Fadnavis met the Prime Minister at his Lok Kalyan Marg residence and sought his “blessings and guidance” for development of Maharashtra. “The Chief Minister of Maharashtra Eknath Shinde and the Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis called on Prime Minister Modi,” the Prime Minister’s Office said on Twitter. Earlier, addressing a press conference here, Shinde said he would try and understand the Prime Minister’s vision for the development of the state and strive to take Maharashtra to newer heights.

 

Shinde said several projects such as Samruddhi Expressway connecting Mumbai and Nagpur, metro rail in cities, and digging farm ponds to boost irrigation, which were initiated by Fadnavis but had run into delays under the Uddhav Thackeray-led Government, will be put on fast-track. CM Shinde and his deputy Fadnavis also met President Ram Nath Kovind and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh here on Saturday. The meetings followed lengthy deliberations over the power-sharing arrangement in Maharashtra between the BJP and the Shinde-led faction of the Shiv Sena at the residence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah that began on late on Friday night and stretched till the wee hours of Saturday. Shinde began his day by offering floral tributes at the statues of Chhatrapati Shivaji, B R Ambedkar and Mahatma Jyotiba Phule at the Maharashtra Sadan here. The two leaders then had a meeting with the Defence Minister at his residence.