MVA ‘boycotts’ Fadnavis' swearing-in, Sanjay Raut slams Eknath Shinde

The protocol department had invited former CMs including NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, Congress' Prithviraj Chavan and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray

MUMBAI: Behind the glitter of the swearing-in ceremony of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and his two deputies on Thursday, bitterness simmered in the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition. Prominent opposition leaders stayed away from the grand event, including former chief ministers such as NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray. It appeared to be an unofficial boycott, a political statement by the MVA, which is still reeling from its shock defeat and has questioned the election results.

The protocol department of the state government had invited former chief ministers including Pawar, Thackeray and Chavan for the function. Pawar was in Delhi for the Winter Session of Parliament. Shiv Sena (UBT) chief and former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and his son, MLA Aaditya Thackeray, were in Mumbai but did not attend. Group leader of the Sena (UBT) Bhaskar Jadhav, too stayed away, as did Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan, NCP (SP) group leader Jitendra Awhad, and Congress leaders Nana Patole and many others from the opposition.

Outspoken as always, Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut took a dig at Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde, who has never concealed his displeasure at being denied the chief minister’s post in the new government. “Shinde becoming a deputy chief minister now is like the police commissioner accepting the post of police inspector,” Raut said of Shinde, the outgoing chief minister who has traded places with Fadnavis.

Prithviraj Chavan said he was away in Karad and could not attend the swearing-in ceremony. “Devendra Fadnavis called me and invited me for the function. But since I am in Karad for some party related work, it was not possible for me to attend the function,” said Chavan.

Interestingly, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, whose party has amicable relations with the BJP, also did not attend. MNS leaders say that Raj Thackeray, who had been personally invited by Fadnavis, cited “prior family commitments” and congratulated Fadnavis on social media. However, in his post, he did say, “In next five years… if I feel government taking some wrong decision and taking granted to the people of state, then I will point out the mistakes. Though if it is not possible for our party in assembly but we will raise the voice outside the assembly.”

NCP (SP) MP and party working president Supriya Sule congratulated Fadnavis and his deputies on their swearing-in via social media. Asked if the MVA’s absence from the function was an undeclared boycott, Sule said, “Pawar saheb was invited but as the Parliament session is on in Delhi, he could not attend the function.”

Bhaskar Jadhav, Sena (UBT) group leader in the assembly, denied there was an opposition boycott of the function. But, he added, party leaders did not attend the swearing-in as Mahayuti had not followed the constitutional process. “As per the process, Mahayuti leaders were expected to submit the claim to form the government to the Governor, and then the Governor gives them a date and time for the swearing-in ceremony. Instead, BJP state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule declared the swearing-in details before the submission of the claim and letter by Mahayuti leaders. The administration too published the invitation card before the Mahayuti leaders met the Governor. The entire process was unconstitutional, so we did not attend the ceremony,” said Jadhav.