The Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) on Saturday rubbished as “baseless” a claim by Shiv Sena MP and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s confidant Naresh Mhaske that at least two Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs were likely to support the NDA Government of Prime Minister-elect Narendra Modi who will be sworn into office on Sunday.  

Within hours after Mhaske went to town claiming that at least two MPs from the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena “were in touch with his party” and may join the NDA, Shiv Sena (UBT)’s deputy leader Sushma Andhare mocked at the rival Sena MP saying: “Making such baseless claims does not augur well for the newly elected MP. If what he is saying is true, he should come out with the names of two MPs”.

Terming Mhaske as an “accidental MP”, Andhare said: “May be Mhaske does not still believe that he has become an MP.  We cannot expect much from a person who has become an MP with money power ...Such immature statements indicate his IQ levels. We don’t give any importance to such people”.

“By making such claims, Mhaske is trying to please Chief Minister Shinde and get recommendation for a Ministerial berth in the impending Modi Cabinet. But, he should realise that there are already Ministerial aspirants like Prataprao Jadhav (Sena’s newly elected MP from Buldhana constituency) whom Shinde will favour”.

Earlier in the day, Mhaske had refused to name the two Lok Sabha members “who were in touch” with the party, citing the anti-defection law. “Four more Sena (UBT) MPs would soon join these two MPs. Together, they would join MV our party,” Mhaske had said.

Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly Vijay Wadettiwar of the Congress said: “Such ridiculous claims made by the ruling party leaders reflect their mindset of the ruling alliance. They have not understood the current political situation”.

“The Maharashtra Assembly elections are just a few months away. No MP will think of taking such steps at a politically crucial time like this.  Mhaske should be aware of this. The MVA won the peoples’ confidence and is fully united, so his comments are baseless,” Wadettiwar said.

In the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, the Opposition MVA won 31 seats (Congress 14 — which include the support it has received from one Independent MP, Shiv Sena (UBT) — 9, and NCP (Sharad Pawar) — 8), while the ruling MahaYuti bagged 17 seats  (BJP — 9, Shinde Shiv Sena — 7 and Ajit Pawar NCP-1).