Maharashtra Cabinet Expansion: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said he would expand his council of ministers next week after discussions with his deputy Devendra Fadnavis. The Chief Minister of Maharashtra said this after a meeting with top BJP leaders in Delhi on Friday and Saturday.
Addressing a press conference during a whirlwind tour of the national capital, Shinde also slammed his predecessor Uddhav Thackeray’s call for mid-term polls in Maharashtra and said his government is strong and stable with the support of 164 MLAs, while the opposition Has only 99.
After arriving here on Friday evening, Shinde and Fadnavis met President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President JP Nadda.
On Friday night, the two held a lengthy meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah during which the broad contours of the power-sharing arrangement in the new Maharashtra government were finalised.
Shinde and Fadnavis left for Pune on Saturday evening via Pandharpur, where the chief minister would worship Lord Vitthal on the occasion of Ashadh Ekadashi. Shinde and Fadnavis took office on June 30, when Thackeray resigned as chief minister, facing a massive insurgency in the Shiv Sena that brought down the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government.
Asked whether he was disappointed with the “demotion” to the deputy chief minister’s post, Fadnavis said he only followed the instructions of his party.
Fadnavis, who served as the chief minister of Maharashtra from 2014 to 2019, said, “My party has made me big by appointing me as the chief minister. It is not a question of big heart. I have followed the instructions of my party.”
“I am with Shinde. I have been the chief minister and I know the chief minister is a leader. We will work under Shinde’s leadership. Our primary goal is to make this government a success,” he said. Shinde rubbished allegations that he had betrayed the Shiv Sena by removing Thackeray as the chief minister.
“We are following the ideals of Balasaheb Thackeray. He taught us to rise against injustice. This is not defection. It is a revolution. All the MLAs have voluntarily joined me,” he said. He said that leaders like Sanjay Raut have nothing. What else to do other than accuse?
Shinde insisted that he was the leader of the “real” Shiv Sena and added that the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker had also recognized his group as such.
He said he tried to reach out to Thackeray on at least three or four occasions with a request to join hands with the Shiv Sena’s “natural ally” BJP, but failed to convince him.
Shinde also came to the rescue of the BJP, which is often accused of going to any lengths to come to power in the states. “BJP has 115 MLAs and people expected BJP chief minister in Maharashtra. People used to say that BJP destroys other parties to come to power. I have 50 MLAs. Do people now talk about BJP the same way? Can say? They can’t.” A small worker like me has got a chance to become the Chief Minister.
Fadnavis said BJP workers were unhappy after Shiv Sena pulled out of alliance with the saffron party to form government in Maharashtra with the help of Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in 2019.
On the question of demoralizing BJP workers, Fadnavis said, “BJP workers felt humiliated in 2019. We had asked for votes together, but our colleague left us. Party workers are happy now. Their pain is now gone. It is done.” On his “demotion” as Deputy Chief Minister.
(with inputs from PTI)
Read also: Eknath Shinde, Devendra Fadnavis call on PM Modi in New Delhi
Read also: Amid discussions on cabinet expansion, Maharashtra CM Shinde, Deputy CM Fadnavis meet Amit Shah
Read also: SC to hear plea against appointment of Eknath Shinde as Chief Minister of Maharashtra on July 11