On Maharashtra alliance, Fadnavis smells a rat

Mumbai, Dec 10: BJP leader and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis alleged that the Shiv Sena's alliance with the NCP and the Congress was a "pre-planned" move to keep his party out of power in the state.

Speaking to Marathi daily 'Loksatta' here, Fadnavis said in the five years of his government, he never let down Uddhav Thackeray, the Sena president who is now the chief minister of the three-party Maha Vikas Aghadi government.

"After thinking over Sena's behaviour during post-election days, I realised that Sena's alliance with the NCP and the Congress was pre-planned. "The Sena had already made up its mind to keep us away from power. In the last five years of our tenure (the BJP-Sena government) I never let down Uddhav Thackeray over any issue," he said.

"But post-2019 elections, Uddhavji did not even answer my calls," claimed the BJP leader.