‘I am not Uddhav Thackeray’: Maharashtra CM Fadnavis says he won’t stall ongoing projects

Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday took a swipe at Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, saying he would not stall ongoing projects like the former chief minister.

Speaking during a motion to thank governor CP Radhakrishnan for his address to the legislature, Fadnavis defended the decisions made under the previous Mahayuti government, saying they were taken collectively and not solely by then chief minister Eknath Shinde.

“I am not Uddhav Thackeray to stay ongoing projects. The decisions taken when Shinde was CM were not his alone; they were mine and Ajit Pawar's responsibility as well,” he said.

Fadnavis said the Mahayuti government, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP, functions in coordination, with all alliance leaders involved in decision-making.

Dismissing allegations of halting projects, he said, “Even if a divisional commissioner stays a scheme for not meeting central guidelines, it is blamed on me.”

He also highlighted that last year’s assembly elections had given a strong mandate to the Mahayuti.

“People have reposed their trust in the Mahayuti, and we are working on the future course of action to fulfil their dreams and aspirations,” he said.

The chief minister said his government has devised a 100-day action plan, covering work from taluka-level offices to Mantralaya, with a focus on improving office records and ensuring people-friendly governance.

The Quality Council of India (QCI) will assess each department based on its performance over 100 days, and those who excel will be felicitated on May 1, he said.

"We want to introduce a new work culture," he added.

Fadnavis announced that Mumbai’s Metro 3, the country’s longest underground metro line, will be fully operational by June 2025, with all metro corridors set to open by 2027.

He criticised the Opposition for allegedly praising Gujarat’s investment inflow, asserting that Maharashtra has attracted three times more investment than its neighbouring state.

“Stop praising Gujarat. At this rate, the state won’t even need advertisements,” he remarked.

Speaking on infrastructure, he said the proposed 802-kilometre Nagpur-Goa Shaktipeeth Expressway, which will pass through 12 districts, primarily in Marathwada, is not just a road but a key driver of growth.

The expressway will accelerate economic development in Marathwada while enhancing connectivity between Konkan, south Maharashtra, and central India, he said.

The proposed highway will traverse 12 districts—Wardha, Yavatmal, Hingoli, Nanded, Parbhani, Beed, Latur, Dharashiv, Solapur, Sangli, Kolhapur, and Sindhudurg—before entering Goa.

Addressing opposition to the project in Kolhapur, he said 200 farmers from five talukas in the district assured him of their support during a meeting on Thursday.

With PTI inputs