Fadnavis taunted by Shiv Sena for not honouring rotational CM pact
New Delhi, Jul 02: The Shiv Sena on Saturday said former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis taking oath as deputy chief minister was a "shocking climax" to the event of creating political instability in the state, and questioned the BJP why it did not show a "big heart" by honouring the pact of rotational CM in 2019, news agency PTI reported.
The Sena, in an editorial in its mouthpiece 'Saamana', said that Fadnavis's act of becoming deputy chief minister instead of chief minister is now being defended as an instance of his "big heart" and "adherence to the party's directives".
"With the motive of creating political instability in Maharashtra, a drama was played out, but it is still unclear how many more episodes are yet to unfold. The fast-paced developments have left even the Chanakayas and political pundits stunned as strokes and masterstrokes are being played," it said.
The 'mahashakti' (superforce) behind the entire drama got exposed. Gaining power in Maharashtra through a rebellion in Shiv Sena was the main objective of this whole play, which was enacted in Surat, Guwahati, Supreme Court, Goa, Raj Bhavan and ultimately at Mantralaya (state secretariat), it said.
"However, the climax at the Raj Bhavan was the most shocking part of it. The one who everyone believed would become the chief minister (Fadnavis) had to take oath as the deputy chief minister and vice versa. He accepted the post as the order of the party leadership. But it is now being said in defence that Fadnavis showed a big heart and took up the post (instead of becoming CM himself)," it said.
But
had
the
BJP
showed
its
big
heart
by
keeping
its
promise
(about
the
rotational
chief
minister)
made
to
the
Shiv
Sena
two-and-a-half
years
back,
then
there
was
no
need
for
it
to
present
any
defence
for
what
happened
now,
the
Uddhav
Thackeray-led
party
said.
A
day
after
the
collapse
of
the
Uddhav
Thackeray-led
Maha
Vikas
Aghadi
(MVA)
government
due
to
a
rebellion
within
the
Shiv
Sena,
Fadnavis
had
on
Thursday
announced
that
rebel
Shiv
Sena
leader
Eknath
Shinde
would
be
the
new
chief
minister,
but
he
himself
would
not
be
part
of
the
government.
He,
however,
later
took
oath
as
deputy
chief
minister.
The BJP, notably, is the single largest party in the Assembly.
On Friday, Uddhav Thackeray had said that had Union Home Minister Amit Shah kept his word of rotating the top post in the state in 2019, the BJP would have been steering the government now.
In 2019, the Shiv Sena and the BJP fought the Assembly polls together, but parted ways due to differences over sharing the chief minister's post. The Sena claims it was decided that all posts, including that of the chief minister, would be shared between the two saffron parties.
PTI