‘To see Shinde as CM upsetting,’ says Maharashtra BJP chief in leaked video

Mumbai, July 23, 2022: Bharatiya Janata Party state unit chief Chandrakant Patil on Saturday created a political flutter when he told party workers that it was with a heavy heart that the BJP had accepted Eknath Shinde as their chief minister

Bharatiya Janata Party state unit chief Chandrakant Patil on Saturday created a political flutter when he told party workers that it was with a heavy heart that the BJP had accepted Eknath Shinde as their chief minister.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis with Chandrakant Patil during BJP State Executive meeting at Vasudev Balwant Phadke Auditorium, Panvel, in Navi Mumbai, India, on Saturday, July 23, 2022. (Bachchan Kumar/ HT PHOTO)

Patil was speaking at a meeting of the state unit at Panvel. A video of his speech has been leaked, and in which he can be heard telling the congregation that given the manner in which Uddhav Thackeray’s government was toppled, they had expected to lead the new government. “A BJP government back in power in Maharashtra was our great need and when it finally came into being it was necessary that it be led by someone competent. That would have sent out the right message to all party workers, it would have helped in toeing the party line and working towards the programmes charted out by the organisation,” he was heard saying in the video.

Patil further said: “There was need for a leader who could have given stability to what we have been doing… However, the decision (of not keeping the CM’s post with the party) has been swallowed by the party’s state unit…It has hurt our sentiments but we have started moving ahead, and accepting the central leadership’s decision.”

Opposition parties promptly ponced on Patil’s statements. Shiv Sena leader Kishori Pednekar said Patil’s comments were the opening gambit of a new power play. “The rebels should now realise what they are up to. They will have to tolerate a lot in the coming days. The BJP wants to use them to finish us, but Sena will survive these challenging times,” she said. Nationalist Congress Party spokesperson Mahesh Tapase added, “The BJP made Eknath Shinde the CM as it knows the new government is unconstitutional and may fall any time after the Supreme Court hears the matter. The BJP will then make the Shinde camp the scapegoat.”

The BJP moved into damage control mode after Chandrakant Patil’s statement blew up on social media. The video of his speech was scrubbed off all social media platforms and key leaders clarified that the remarks were only reflective of the sentiments of the party workers and not the position of its leadership.

“What Patilji said today was the analysis of the emotional reaction of party workers. Our president just expressed his reaction openly,” said BJP leader Ashish Shelar. “The question (to be examined) is how did this video leak. It is our internal matter and we will look into it,” he added.

Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis also said that Patil’s statement does not mean the BJP does not approve of Shinde as CM. “There is nothing wrong in what Patil said. Party workers were expecting a BJP leader-led government. It was a shock for the party workers, but sometimes the party’s leadership needs to think differently. By making Shindeji the CM our party leadership has shown that we are not hungry for power and the allegations levelled by opponents that we pull down governments to install our CM are false.”

A senior BJP leader said that Patil’s comments were made to boost the morale of the 800 workers and leaders present there, and he spoke under the impression that he was not recorded. “As per the design of the program, only Fadnavis’s concluding speech was supposed to go live to the media. Patil genuinely spoke to boost the morale of the party workers assuming it was a closed-door meeting. How it went out is being investigated and the responsibility will be fixed for the goof up,” the leader said.

The Shinde camp refused to comment on Patil’s speech.

The BJP meanwhile passed three resolutions at the Panvel meet including a political one to congratulate chief minister Eknath Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis for taking the people-centric decisions in the last three weeks of their government. Leaders termed the previous Thackeray government as inefficient, corrupt and blamed it for its attempt to ‘crush the BJP’ in the last two and half years. The executive also passed a resolution to congratulate the state government over its decisions on farmers and restoration of the OBC quota in local body elections.

Fadnavis, while reiterating that the government is led by Ekanth Shinde and the party should respect the fact, told party workers to not expect much despite being in power. “It is true that we are in the government, and we deserve our share in power, and even the share in the 12 vacant posts in the legislative council, but party workers should not vie for posts. Work hard for the next two and half a year to ensure that the party comes to power on its own majority,” he told those gathered.

The daylong meeting was attended by BJP’s national general secretary CT Ravi, national joint general secretary Shiv Prakash, and other key leaders from the state.