BJP backs Fadnavis as CM candidate

With the Shiv Sena targeting chief minister Devendra Fadnavis after the latter denied there was a 50:50 formula to share the chief minister’s post, there was speculation

With the Shiv Sena targeting chief minister Devendra Fadnavis after the latter denied there was a 50:50 formula to share the chief minister’s post, there was speculation in political circles that the former was angling for another CM candidate. Fadnavis’ statement had irked Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray so much so that he directed his party colleagues to discontinue talks with the BJP leadership. On Tuesday, however, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) put this speculation to rest, as it backed Fadnavis as its CM candidate ruling out any change on this front.

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The state core committee meeting led by Fadnavis met on Tuesday afternoon. Post this meeting, state party chief Chandrakant Patil said the saffron alliance government would be formed with Fadnavis as the CM. “The BJP stands by Fadnavis unequivocally. Our party elected him as our leader unanimously after the elections. Our government will be formed only under his leadership. There is no doubt about who will be the CM and who will lead the party,” said Patil, who is also considered as the CM contender.

Patil’s response came even as Sena in its mouthpiece Saamana on Tuesday referred to Fadnavis as an outgoing chief minister. The mouthpiece added that Fadnavis, who met BJP national president Amit Shah on Monday, seemed to be at a “loss for words”. In an indirect attack on the CM, the editorial said it is would be “unconstitutional” to keep the “reins of power” in hand, while creating “confusion” over the formation of the new government.

“The Sena had indicated that it wants to replace Fadnavis and even expressed interest in getting Union minister Nitin Gadkari back to Maharashtra. But the BJP’s central leadership refuted this possibility as well as willingness to split the top post with Sena,” said a senior BJP leader.

The senior leader, however, added that the sudden souring of relations between the Sena and Fadnavis had further muddied the negotiations between the two.

“Fadnavis was isolated in this situation as he does not have great political managers. In the past five years, he has handled the Sena on his own. Even when the BJP leaders were against the Sena and in favour of the NCP in 2014, he had supported the Sena. He would directly speak to Thackeray. With him being blacklisted, there was no one in the Sena to carry forward the talks. Even if there is a truce between the Sena and BJP, Fadnavis has a rocky road ahead handling his ally,” said a BJP minister, who did not want to be named.

According to Sena insiders, the leadership is irked with Fadnavis for his statements on sharing the CM post for equal term, and with Amit Shah for staying away from Maharashtra to resolve the deadlock. Party functionaries close to Thackeray said, “In effect, Fadnavis’s denial meant that Uddhav ji was lying [about 50:50 formula for CM post] and that was not acceptable. Such a statement was uncalled for even in an informal talk.” Sena leader Sanjay Raut said, “Nobody is talking on the attempts to prove my party chief Uddhav ji wrong. There are no statements on why the promise made had not been kept.”

Sena functionary Kishor Tiwari, who was with the BJP until September, also wrote to Mohan Bhagwat, chief of the RSS, the ideological fountainhead of the BJP, to intervene and resolve the deadlock as the BJP failed to adhere to “alliance dharma” and “went back on its word”. “The situation has been triggered because of the arrogance of the BJP leadership. The Sena has gone ahead to look at other options. Uddhav Thackeray should be made the CM.”