Guwahati: Maharashtra CM-designate and Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde stated on Thursday that the party is dedicated to Balasaheb’s Hindutva and for development activities in the 50 MLAs’ districts who support him.
Shinde is set to take oath as Maharashtra CM today at 7.30 pm.
BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis made the declaration earlier today after meeting with Governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari to lay a claim to form the state’s government.
“A total of 50 MLAs are with us, including 40 MLAs from Shiv Sena…We have fought this battle so far with their help…I will not let even a scratch mar the trust that these 50 people have placed in me – let alone break that trust,” Shinde told media persons in a joint conference with Fadnavis.
“The choice we made is dedicated to Balasaheb’s Hindutva and to the development efforts in the districts represented by our MLAs. We are joined by 50 MLAs, he added.
He added that despite the BJP having 120 MLAs, Fadnavis declined to become chief minister.
“The BJP has 120 MLAs, but Devendra Fadnavis chose not to accept the position of CM. I want to thank him, along with PM Modi, Amit Shah, and other BJP leaders, for their compassion in elevating Balasaheb’s Sainik (party worker) to the position of state chief executive,” he said.
Shinde claimed that the rebel Shiv Sena leaders requested a natural coalition with the BJP as a result of advising former CM Thackeray on the need for improvement in the development work.
“As we began to realise it would be challenging for us to win the next elections, we went to former CM Thackeray with our constituency’s complaints and development efforts and advised him on the need for reform. A natural coalition with the BJP was what we demanded, he remarked.
Fadnavis said that the Shiv Sena and the BJP would have obtained the necessary number of votes in the Assembly elections, but instead, the party opted to form an alliance with the Congress and the NCP.
“The BJP and Shiv Sena formed an alliance in 2019, and we won the necessary number of seats in the Assembly. We had hoped to become the government, but Shiv Sena decided to join forces with the people Balasaheb protested all of his life. Shiv Sena insulted the people’s will.” Fadnavis said.
Shiv Sena MLAs were calling for the alliance with Congress and the NCP to terminate, but Uddhav Thackeray ignored them and gave the MVA alliance partners priority, thus the MLAs’ voices became louder, according to Fadnavis.
Fadnavis also made the decision to stay out of politics.
“We will have a cabinet expansion today after the swearing-in event, during which Shiv Sena and BJP officials will take the oath. I won’t participate in government “Added he.
Thackeray became Chief Minister after Shiv Sena joined hands with Nationalist Congress Party and Congress to form the government in Maharashtra following the 2019 Assembly elections. Shiv Sena leadership had differences with its pre-poll ally BJP and wanted the post of Chief Minister.