Uday Samant says Shinde alone will decide on Shiv Sena unity, he has no right to speak

Talk of a merger of the two Rashtravadi parties has been causing a stir in the state. The discussion has been gathering pace for the past ten days, and meetings between leaders have fuelled it further. Some leaders in both camps are also dismissing the talk. Separately, there has also been talk of Shiv Sena unification.

Some leaders of the Shinde Sena have given their views on a merger. MP Omraje Nimbalkar has said he would be happiest if both parties came together. Industries Minister Uday Samant responded to these developments.

Samant said that was Nimbalkar's personal opinion. The right to decide whether to come together rests with Eknath Shinde, in whom the party has trust. According to Samant, Nimbalkar can state his view, but Shinde is above him. Samant said he himself has no right to speak on the issue of a merger or unification. He said Eknath Shinde alone will speak on this policy decision and he alone will take it.

Samant also spoke about Shinde's leadership. He said that under Eknath Shinde he got the opportunity to work as Industries Minister in Maharashtra. According to him, it was Shinde who brought his face before Maharashtra, and many leaders like him have come up because of Shinde. Samant said some people do not see or understand this, and that instead of speaking more about it, one should move ahead. He said it should also be shown that Shinde went into a hut in Jalna, ate onion and bhakri there and spoke to people.

On the dialysis centres in Ratnagiri, Samant said the dialysis system at the district hospital is running properly. Free dialysis treatment is being given to 1,113 patients. Five separate units run by HLL are operating. According to Samant, the company has been given a clear warning so that this arrangement does not stop.

He said the District Collector has taken an important decision not to let the company's machines be moved out. Local technicians are working at all five dialysis centres. The centres will be kept running through the administration and the health department. Minister Uday Samant assured that the dialysis centres in Ratnagiri district will not shut.