Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis.
(Photo: PTI)
The Shiv Sena on Saturday, 2 July, said former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis taking oath as deputy chief minister was a "shocking climax" to the drama of creating political instability in the state, and asked the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) why it did not show a "big heart" by honouring the pact of rotational CM in 2019.
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."
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.
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.
The BJP, notably, is the single largest party in the Assembly. 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.
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