Hours after Rahul Gandhi sidelined Congress from Covid-19 crisis in Maharashtra by saying, ‘we are not a key player in Maharashtra’, senior party leader Sanjay Nirupam slams Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray over the major health crisis in which the state is at the top in the list.

These statements from prime players of the alliance partner of Shiv Sena amid the political rifts going on in the state is not a good sign for the stability of the government.

“The Chief Minister keeps speaking to the public. If he could have similar consultations regularly with his alliance partners then he would not have to do 60 flip-flops in 60 days,” NDTV quoted former Congress MP Sanjay Nirupam as saying.

Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi while defending his party in Maharashtra over raising allegations of mishandling the COVID crisis said that his party is not a ‘key player’ in running Maharashtra government.

“We are only supporting the government and are not a ‘key player’ in the state”, said Gandhi.

However, he 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 further said that the party is doing better where ever it is running its own government.

Meanwhile, leader of opposition in the state, Devendra Fadnavis said, “We are not interested in change of Government in the state as Covid-19 situation is serious. We are fighting against Coronavirus and want to pressurize Govt for the same.”

Congress played a very significant role in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government led by Uddhav Thackeray after a month of political drama in the state last year.

On Monday, Sharad Pawar went to meet Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari at Raj Bhavan. Both the sides called it a ‘courtesy call’.

Pawar was accompanied by NCP MP Praful Patel.

On the same day, BJP leader and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Narayan Rane also went to meet the Governor. As per the reports, he demanded imposition of President’s rule in the state.

He claimed that the government headed by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had failed to handle the Covid-19 crisis.