There should not be any politics: Shinde on border issue with K'taka

MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, speaking on the border issue with Karnataka in the Legislative Assembly on Monday, said that there should not be any politics on it now.

"For the first time, the Union Home Minister has mediated in the inter-state border dispute between Maharashtra and Karnataka. There should be no politics on this issue now. We should stand together with the border residents," said Chief Minister Shinde.

Earlier, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had a telephonic conversation with Shinde. "Maharashtra Chief Minister Shri Eknath Shinde had a telephonic discussion with me, we both agreed that there should be peace and law and order to be maintained in both the states," Bommai said in a tweet.

The border dispute between Maharashtra and Karnataka goes back to the implementation of the State Reorganization Act, of 1956. The then Maharashtra government had demanded the readjustment of its border with Karnataka.

Following this, a four-member committee was formed by both states. The Maharashtra government had expressed willingness to transfer 260 predominantly Kannada-speaking villages, but the proposal was turned down by Karnataka.

Both governments later approached the Supreme Court to expedite the matter.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar on Saturday said that Karnataka and Maharashtra CMs' talks with Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding the border issue should be made public.

"Karnataka and Maharashtra CMs' talks with Union HM Amit Shah should be made public. We'll support it if the state government proposes border issues," said Ajit Pawar.