Eknath Shinde mentions his children, breaks down during Assembly speech

MUMBAI: Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde on Monday hailed the victory of his faction in the floor test of the Maharashtra Assembly.

Speaking in the Assembly today, Shinde said, "I thank Devendra Fadnavis ji for giving me a chance to work as a minister in the previous government... I could work on Samruddhi Mahamarg project. He was to give the Deputy CM post to Shiv Sena also in 2019."

"We are Shivsainiks and we will always be Shivsainiks of Balasaheb and Anand Dighe. I want to remind you who was there and who got Balasaheb's voting banned for six years," the Maharashtra Chief Minister said.

"Initially, I was supposed to be made the chief minister in the MVA government... But later Ajit Dada (Ajit Pawar) or someone said that I should not be made the chief minister. I had no problem and I told Uddhav ji to go ahead, and that I was with him. I never eyed that post," Shinde said.

Shinde referred to two of his children who had died and got emotional.

"They attacked my family... My father is alive, my mother died. I could not give much time to my parents. They would be asleep when I came and would go to work when I slept. I could not give much time to my son Shrikant. My two children died - at the time, Anand Dighe consoled me. I used to think, what is there to live for? I will stay with my family," the chief minister said.

Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde on Monday won the crucial floor test in the state Assembly on the last day of the two-day special session of the House. In the 288-member House, 164 MLAs voted for the motion of confidence, while 99 voted against it. Three legislators abstained from voting, while 21 legislators, including Congress's Ashok Chavan and Vijay Wadettiwar, were absent.

Sanjay Raut on Monday questioned the legitimacy of the faction led by Eknath Shinde and said the group cannot claim to be the original Sena.

Speaking to reporters in Delhi, Raut said these MLAs (of the Shinde group) should ask themselves some questions. They used the party symbol and all benefits that come along with it to win elections and then broke the same party.

Raut's statement comes after Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar reinstated Shinde as the Shiv Sena legislature party leader, removing Ajay Chaudhary, just ahead of the Eknath Shinde-led government's floor test today.

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