Deputy CM Eknath Shinde Urges Public Representatives to Prioritise People’s Welfare

Nagpur, Dec 2025 — Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde today said that public representatives must adopt an approach centered on helping the common people. He emphasised that elected leaders should be ready to amend laws when necessary, instead of getting stuck in legal hurdles and red tape, and use the powers granted by the Constitution for the people’s welfare.

Shinde was speaking in the Legislative Council during a guidance session organised by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association on the topic “Responsibilities of Public Representatives Towards Their Constituencies and the Constitutional Platform Available Through the House.”
Legislative Council Deputy Chairperson Dr. Neelam Gorhe and Legislature Secretary Meghna Talekar were present.

Shinde said that since the people of his constituency elected him, it is his duty to work for them. A public representative must always carry the sentiment of reducing people’s hardships and bringing satisfaction and happiness into their lives by making full use of the position they hold. A responsible leader should understand the sorrow of the people and use every constitutional means to resolve their issues, he added.

Calling democracy a “sacred temple” and the common people his “deity,” Shinde said that to become a good public representative, one must first be a good learner. “Even today, I consider myself a student,” he said. He added that democracy must remain people-centric, describing it as a sacred river flowing between citizens and their elected representatives. It is the duty of the government and administration to ensure this river of development remains clean and uninterrupted.

Shinde praised the state’s rich parliamentary traditions, upheld by presiding officers over the decades—from G.V. Mavalankar, V.S. Page, R.S. Gavai and Jayant Tilak to N.S. Fadnavis, Madhukarrao Choudhary, Dattaji Nalawade, Arun Gujarati and others. He said his own political journey began as a branch head and that consistently identifying himself as a “common man dedicated to common people” is what drives him to prioritise solving public issues. Using his position to reduce people’s suffering and enhance their well-being gives him satisfaction, he said.

Speaking on the responsibilities of public representatives, Shinde highlighted several initiatives:
— Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana
— Free higher education for girls
— Balasaheb Thackeray Aapla Dawakhana for the poor
— Treatment worth up to ₹5 lakh under the Jeevandayi Yojana
— Assistance to 80,000 patients worth about ₹450 crore in the last 2.5 years through the Chief Minister’s Medical Assistance Cell

He added that nearly 5 crore citizens have benefited from the Shasan Aplya Dari scheme. He expressed satisfaction that public representatives are fulfilling the wishes and aspirations of the people.

Earlier, Deputy Chairperson Dr. Neelam Gorhe welcomed the Deputy CM with a bouquet. The programme was anchored by Nilesh Madane, and a vote of thanks was delivered by Legislature Secretary Meghna Talekar.