Earlier in April, Sanjay Raut had taken potshots at the Governor for delay in appointment of Uddhav Thackeray as MLC. (File)

Reiterating that there was no threat to the Uddhav Thackeray-led government in the state, senior Shiv Sena leader and MP Sanjay Raut Sunday claimed people have placed bets the Maha Vikas Aghadi government would be toppled by October 2020, “but it was just a dream”.

In his weekly column, Rokhthok, in the party’s mouthpiece Saamana, Raut hit out at the BJP saying that despite the pandemic the “politicking hasn’t stopped”, be it over the border standoff with China or handling of the coronavirus situation.

In Maharashtra, he said, politics was now being played over the appointment of the 12 Members of Legislative Council (MLCs) through the Governor’s quota. Referring to a media report, the Sena MP claimed Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari was not in favour of the appointments of 12 MLCs and may not approve them till September. “These MLC posts have fallen vacant on June 15. If they are appointed immediately, they can serve the state, but the Governor has indicated to the government that he is not in favour of completing the appointment process due to the current Covid-19 situation,” Raut said in his column.

“If this is true, it means that the appointments of 12 MLCs will be delayed till October. But why October? Because there are people who have placed bets the current Maharashtra government will be toppled by October by hook or crook. Then, the ‘new government’ (after ousting the Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi) will make the appointments (of the 12 MLCs), but this is just a dream. There is no threat to the government,” the Sena MP said.

Interestingly, the Thackeray-led government is yet to recommend the 12 names to be appointed as MLCs to the Governor.

Raut also hit out at opposition leader Devendra Fadnavis over his recent remarks that the BJP was not interested in toppling the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, but that it would come down on its own due to internal contradictions. “He (Fadnavis) has realised this after all the attempts of toppling the government has failed. But the new experiments to create hurdles before the government would continue,” he added.

Raut also referred to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent statement that the greed for power of one family had led to the imposition of emergency in India and it was violation of the Constitution and suppression of freedom. Claiming that it was a clear message to the Governor, the Sena MP said, “If the 12 MLCs are not appointed in time, then it will amount to violation of the Constitution and suppression of freedom just like the emergency.”

Earlier in April, Raut had taken potshots at the Governor for delay in appointment of Uddhav Thackeray as MLC.