Pawar rejects Fadnavis’s claim of forming govt in 2019 after consulting NCP chief

Fadnavis was sworn in as the chief minister and NCP’s Ajit Pawar his deputy before their government fell three days in 2019

Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has claimed that he formed the government that lasted three days in 2019 following consultations with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Sharad Pawar after Shiv Sena parted ways with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar. (ANI)

Pawar reacted sharply to the claim and called it a lie. “I thought Fadnavis was a cultured person and a gentleman. I never thought he would lie.”

Fadnavis was sworn in as the chief minister and NCP’s Ajit Pawar his deputy before their government fell three days in 2019. Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray succeeded Fadnavis as the chief minister. His government also fell three years later when Eknath Shinde led a rebellion of 39 Shiv Sena lawmakers in June 2022.

Shinde later formed the government with the BJP’s help while Fadnavis was named his deputy.

Speaking at an event organised by news channel TV9 Marathi, Fadnavis on Monday said after Thackeray betrayed them, there was an offer to form a stable government with the NCP. “We held discussions with Sharad Pawar... several things were finalised.”

Fadnavis claimed the early morning swearing-in in 2019 was also held after discussions with Sharad Pawar but later the NCP chief changed his stand. “Everybody knows what happened later.”

Fadnavis maintained Ajit Pawar did not rebel against NCP in 2019 but was made a scapegoat. He accused Sharad Pawar of betrayal.

The BJP and Shiv Sena contested the 2019 assembly elections in alliance and won the seats needed to form the government. But they parted ways as the BJP denied Thackeray’s claim that he was promised a rotational chief ministership.

Shiv Sena later formed the government with NCP and Congress. As deliberations between the three parties were on, Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar took the oath in 2019.

NCP lawmakers backed Sharad Pawar’s efforts to form the government with the Sena and Congress and forced Ajit Pawar and Fadnavis to resign. Ajit Pawar later returned to NCP as Fadnavis’s government fell in 2019.

Congress leader Ashok Chavan questioned the timing of Fadnavis’s claim and said he does not believe that Sharad Pawar would have done something like that. “He [Sharad Pawar] is a politician who does everything openly.”

Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Aaditya Thackeray said Pawar and his party stood solidly with his father Uddhav Thackeray and other allies.