*Mumbai*: With voting completed on May 20 for all 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, several leaders who endured the sweltering heat during the campaign have sought respite by traveling to cooler countries before the results are announced.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and his family, Leader of the Opposition and Congress MLA Vijay Wadettiwar, among others, have left Maharashtra to escape the rising temperatures. Many leaders are spending time in Europe or England, rejuvenating themselves ahead of the counting day.
Typically, leaders head abroad for summer vacations in April and May, but this year's election campaign delayed their plans.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde remarked, "Uddhav Thackeray can afford to go abroad, but as the Chief Minister, I have many responsibilities here. I need to implement measures to mitigate the drought and oversee the cleaning of drains."
Ashish Shelar, President of the BJP Mumbai unit, criticized Uddhav Thackeray for vacationing amidst the drought conditions in various parts of the state. He sarcastically suggested that Uddhav should inspect drain-cleaning work in London.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Sunil Raut countered, stating that no one has stopped the Chief Minister and ruling party leaders from vacationing abroad. "The only condition is that they must speak English there. These people can't speak English, so no one might have invited them to London," he said. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis have stayed in Maharashtra since the elections ended.