'Fadnavis should become CM as long as...': Maharashtra BJP chief

The statement comes months after Bawankule's predecessor Chandrakant Patil – who now holds the education portfolio in the Eknath Shinde-led cabinet – had echoed a similar sentiment.

Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Sunday pitched for Devendra Fadanvis as the chief minister of the state. Bawankule said as long as he is the party's state unit chief Eknath Shinde's deputy Devendra Fadnavis should become the CM for the "overall development" of the state. He reportedly made the remarks while speaking at a public event in Nagpur. "...As long as I am the state unit president (of the BJP), Fadnavis should become..." Bawankule said, but left the sentence incomplete and waited for a response from the audience, reported news agency PTI.

Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.

A while later some from the audience shouted "chief minister", following which the BJP leader said, "We all need to work in such a manner that he (Fadnavis) will get that post (of CM). It is not about getting him that post, but it is for the overall development of Maharashtra state." "If one person can define the future of Maharashtra, it is Devendraji,” he reportedly added.

The statement comes months after Bawankule's predecessor Chandrakant Patil – who is now a minister in the Eknath Shinde-led cabinet – had echoed a similar sentiment. He said, "We needed to provide a leader who would convey the right message and ensure stability. The central leadership and Devendra-ji decided to back Eknath Shinde as CM with a heavy heart. We were unhappy but decided to accept the decision."

Bawankule's remark prompted criticism from a Nationalist Congress Party leader. "It means BJP leaders have zero value for current CM Eknath Shinde and his faction. Soon, they (Shinde and his supporters) will realise that they have been cheated by the BJP," NCP MLC Amol Mitkari was quoted by PTI.

The BJP had in June announced that Shinde, who had engineered rebellion against the Sena and toppled the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, would become the CM.

After the Uddhav Thackeray government collapsed due to the rebellion by a group of 40 Shiv Sena MLAs led by Shinde, it was expected that Fadnavis would become the CM. But Fadnavis announced that Shinde would lead the new government.

(With PTI inputs)