CM’s son spotted in a chair. Opposition calls it a takeover in Shinde’s absence

The ‘seat of power’ can sometimes take a literal meaning. A picture showing chief minister Eknath Shinde’s son and MP Shrikant Shinde ensconced in a chair at the CM’s official residence Varsha caused a controversy on Friday, with a section of NCP and Congress leaders seeking an apology for his use of fixtures reserved for the highest elected office in Maharashtra.

- Prafulla.Marpakwar

Shrikant Shinde reacted saying the criticism was uncalled for as the chair on which he was photographed was part of the Shinde family’s furniture, “the chair does not belong to Mantralaya or Varsha.” And lest someone thinks he was using it for photo-ops, he said he was “looking after the CM’s work in his absence…my father and myself, we meet thousands of people to address their grievances.’’