Shiv Sena’s alliance with NCP-Congress was pre-planned: Fadnavis
Before the elections, the Sena sought voters by showing images and work of our leaders but after winning it joined hands with NCP & Congress, Fadnavis said
Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday alleged the Shiv Sena’s decision to ally with NCP and Congress was a “pre-planned” move to keep the BJP out of power in the state.
Fadnavis made the remark while speaking to Marathi daily ‘Loksatta’ yesterday.
During the interaction, the BJP leader said in the five years of his government, he never let down Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, who was recently elected the Chief Minister by the three-party Maha Vikas Aghadi government.
“After thinking over Sena’s behaviour during post-election days, I realised that its alliance with the NCP and 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. But post-2019 elections, Uddhav ji did not even answer my calls,” he claimed when asked about the former NDA ally.
The former CM also spoke about attempts by his party to form a government with the Sharad Pawar-led NCP.
“A lot of things have happened behind the scenes and between the lines about the BJP and NCP’s joint attempt to form a government. What transpired between PM Narendra Modi and NCP chief Sharad Pawar (during their meeting in Delhi last month) will be out soon,” Fadnavis said, adding that he will make the details of the meeting public if told to do so.
Fadnavis, who is now the Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra assembly, had become Chief Minister for the second time last month with the support of NCP leader Ajit Pawar.
However, after the Supreme Court ordered a floor test, Pawar resigned from the post of Deputy Chief Minister.
His resignation, which indicated a withdrawal of support, was followed by Fadnavis’ resignation and the subsequent collapse of the BJP-NCP government, which lasted just 80 hours.
The MLA from Nagpur South West constituency also claimed the Shiv Sena, which had a pre-poll alliance with the BJP for the October 21 assembly polls, had sought votes in the name of his party leaders.
“One should not forget that the Sena sought votes showing our leaders’ images and their work but after winning, it joined hands with the Congress and the NCP.
“The Sena contested against the NCP and the Congress but post-election, it joined hands with them,” said the 49- year-old.
Meanwhile, the Sena has maintained it reached out to the NCP-Congress for government formation after the BJP rejected its power-sharing formula, which included sharing the CM’s post for 2.5 years each.
After weeks of intense negotiations, the Sena-NCP-Congress officially came together under the banner of Maha Vikas Aghadi and elected Uddhav Thackeray as the leader. He took oath as chief minister on November 28.
