Maharashtra: CM Fadnavis discusses plans with top bosses

Fadnavis met party president Amit Shah and union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who has been negotiating power-sharing with the Shiv Sena, since the Assembly poll results were out last month.

A day after courting allegations of violating rules to win the trust vote in the assembly, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis met the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) bosses in New Delhi to come up with an action plan for the future.

Fadnavis met party president Amit Shah and Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who has been negotiating power-sharing with the Shiv Sena, since the assembly poll results were out last month.

Fadnavis explained to Shah the conduct of trust vote and the ensuing drama between the Sena and Congress legislators, of which five were suspended for heckling the governor.

He is learned to have sought the nod to expand his Cabinet before the winter session of the state legislature.

Sources said the BJP high command has plans to stabilize the party’s first-ever government in Maharashtra. Firstly, it would trick the Shiv Sena, which sat in the Opposition, to join the government on revised terms.

“The Sena has not completely shed its interest in joining the government. Some of the Sena’s moves in the past two days have indicated that, given a good deal, it might still get in the government,” said a senior BJP functionary, even as the Sena leaders met state Governor to demand justice in Wednesday’s trust vote, which they alleged was held without allowing to them to divide votes.

On Wednesday, the BJP, with 122 MLAs, needed to reach a half-way mark to win the trust vote in the 288-member house, which currently has the strength of 287 because of one vacancy.

Fadnavis could not be contacted after his meetings with the leaders. However sources said, the CM also discussed shortage of gas supply to the Ratnagiri Gas and Power Company Ltd (RGPPL) which has stopped generation since last many months and the shortage in general with Pradhan.