‘Shadow CM’s post vacant’: Shiv Sena mocks Raj Thackeray

On the 14th foundation day of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) on Monday., its chief Raj Thackeray named his son Amit the shadow minister for tourism and law and judiciary departments.

The Shiv Sena on Wednesday took a jibe at the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) over its “shadow cabinet” and said that the chief minister’s post in it was vacant.

In an acerbic editorial, the Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana, said that a “shadow governor” should be appointed to administer oath of office to the shadow cabinet. It also poked fun at the MNS for announcing a shadow cabinet when it has just one member in the 289-member legislative assembly.

“A party with sole legislator has formed a ‘shadow cabinet’ to keep an ‘eye’ on the Maharashtra cabinet... The post of chief minister in the shadow cabinet is vacant. There should have been a shadow governor to administer the oath of office and secrecy to the shadow cabinet. If this had happened, the game of shadows would have been more colourful. The developments show there is still humour left in politics,” the editorial in Saamana said without naming Raj Thackeray’s party.

The MNS announced its shadow cabinet on the 14th foundation day of the party on Monday. Raj Thackeray named his son Amit the shadow minister for tourism and law and judiciary departments, the portfolios held Aaditya Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray respectively.

MNS leaders Sandeep Deshpande and Ameya Khopkar took to Twitter to attack Sena and Saamana editor Sanjay Raut on Wednesday morning.

Deshpande, in an apparent response to the editorial, “The chief minister’s post is actually held by Ajit dada (Pawar). The Maharashtra chief minister is currently without any important portfolio and is working like a shadow CM. Therefore, Raj saheb must have thought of not appointing a shadow CM.”

The Sena also took a swipe at former ally Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and said that the principal opposition party is still behaving like a ruling party.

“Normally such an experiment (shadow cabinet) is done by a strong opposition. In Maharashtra, the party with 105 MLAs did not form shadow cabinet but the party with only one legislator did it,” it said. “In India, there is no leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, and in Maharashtra, the opposition party behaves as if it is still ruling,” the Saamana editorial said.