Fadnavis says BJP discussed CM post sharing with Sena in 2019

Uddhav Thackeray has said that the BJP promised him a shared CMship and later went back on its word.

MUMBAI: CM Devendra Fadnavis, in an interaction on Saturday, harked back to the old 2019 controversy regarding the BJP and undivided Shiv Sena sharing the Maharashtra CM’s post for two and a half years each. The BJP and Sena were to enter into an alliance before the assembly elections.

Devendra Fadnavis and Uddhav Thackeray met several times in 2919 as they were exploring an alliance. (HT)

While Uddhav Thackeray has time and again said that the BJP promised him a shared CMship and later went back on its word, the BJP has so far maintained that the issue was never discussed in pre-poll talks, At the Pune event organised by Jaipur Dialogues, Fadnavis, however, stated that the issue had been discussed.

“Uddhav once told me that the Shiv Sena wanted a shared CMship, and that he had spoken to our seniors,” said Fadnavis. “He wanted a final call on this. It was 1 am. I told him that I could not take a decision but it could be discussed with our president Amit Shah. A call was put through to Shah, who said it could not be done, and the BJP was not interested in an alliance if this was the condition. We told Uddhav that we had not given anyone the post of deputy chief minister in 2014-2019 and we could give this to him.”

Fadnavis said that four days later, Uddhav sent him a message that he wanted to talk again. “I replied that we did not want to talk if the demand for CMship was going to be reiterated,” he said. “The messenger told me that Uddhav had given up that demand but wanted one more seat. When we met, he told me that he wanted the Palghar seat. I was unwilling, as we had repeatedly won the seat but as a compromise we gave it to the Sena along with our candidate.”

Fadnavis said that Amit Shah and he then went to Matoshree. “Uddhav said that he wanted to talk again with Amit Shah in private,” he said. “I told him not to bring up the subject again but Uddhav said that he wanted to voice his opinion of how the Shiv Sena was never taken into account. He then spoke to Amit Shah for a few minutes and I was called in ten minutes later. Thereafter, I was told what I was supposed to say at the press conference to declare our alliance. Uddhav, his wife Rashmi and everyone approved. In the press conference at Worli, I spoke as decided.”

Fadnavis claimed that the distribution of power was never mentioned. “Even if it was discussed inside the room, it would have been reported to me,” he said. Later, when PM Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and J P Nadda said at their rallies that Devendra Fadnavis would lead the government, Uddhav, who was present, clapped.”

In the 2019 state polls, the BJP won 105 seats while the Shiv Sena got 56. Soon after the results, Fadnavis called Uddhav, who wanted a separate press conference. “When Uddhav called the conference, he said that his options were open and he could go with anyone or to any extreme,” said Fadnavis. “He didn’t take any calls from me from that day till his government was formed.”

Fadnavis said that if Uddhav believed he had been promised the CMship, he would have come for a discussion. “He never did,” he said. “Later, we realised that the Shiv Sena had a pre-poll pact with the NCP, and the undivided NCP chief Sharad Pawar had a tacit understanding that the Shiv Sena would be helped wherever they fought against the Congress and, in turn, the NCP would be helped where they were in a fight with the BJP. If the BJP had won 120 seats, Uddhav Thackeray would not have left us. He left us because of the numbers game.”

Reacting to Fadnavis’ claims, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray said, “The BJP broke the alliance in 2014. In 2019, they promised us a power-sharing deal in Balasaheb Thackeray’s room and all of us outside the room were told about it. Fadnavis has told a half-truth. He had first said that no discussion about the CM’s post happened in Balasaheb’s room. Now, he has told a part-truth. The full truth may come out after a few years.”