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Amid allegations of mishandling the COVID crisis in Maharashtra by opposition leaders – who even demanded dismissal of the state government – Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that his party is not a key player in running the Maharashtra government.
Gandhi, whose Congress party is part of "Maha Vikas Aghadi" and holds key ministries in the Maharashtra government said, "We are only supporting the government and are not a 'key player' in the state".
Gandhi, however, defended the state government and said that Mumbai is a well-connected state, and that is the reason why COVID cases are rising there. He also asserted that the party is doing better where ever it is running its own government.
Tongues started wagging as Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar went to meet Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari at Raj Bhavan, in what was described by both sides as a "courtesy call".
Accompanied by NCP MP Praful Patel, this was Pawar's first-ever meeting with the Governor who was appointed in September 2019, crowning a series of recent political developments in the state.
Later on Monday afternoon, it was the turn of BJP leader and former Chief Minister Narayan Rane to meet the Governor. He reportedly demanded imposition of President's rule in the state.
Among various things, Rane has claimed the government headed by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had failed to handle the COVID-19 pandemic crisis in the state.
The Governor followed it up by a review meeting of the crisis in which Thackeray excused himself but sent his close confidante Milind Narvekar.
A couple of days later, Koshyari raised strong objections to a letter written by Minister of Higher and Technical Education Uday Samant to the UGC recommending cancellation of final year university examinations, which the Governor pointed out was against the guidelines.
This was followed by Sena MP Sanjay Raut calling on the Governor, and a day later, Thackeray announced that the lockdown implemented suddenly was not proper, and lifting it abruptly would be detrimental to the people.
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