Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday refuted senior Congress leader and former CM Prithviraj Chavan’s claims regarding the political situation in the state. Chavan had claimed that Ajit Pawar will be appointed as the CM, replacing the incumbent Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Pawar is sharing the post of Deputy CM with Fadnavis at present.
He further stated that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) does not want to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections under Shinde given the leader’s limited influence outside Thane. The former Maharashtra CM even said that the BJP sees an alternate in Ajit Pawar and wants to make him the CM.
Fadnavis, however, told reporters that Pawar would not be elevated as the CM and that Shinde would continue to be the CM. “It is pretty much clear among the BJP, NCP (Ajit Pawar) and Shiv Sena (Shinde) that Eknath Shinde is the CM of ‘Mahayuti’ and he will remain the CM. There will not be any change,” Fadnavis was quoted as saying by PTI.
He further said that Ajit Pawar is fully aware that he will not become the CM since this was discussed in meetings held before July 2. He added predictions made by ‘Prithvi Baba’ about Pawar becoming the CM will not come true. Fadnavis further noted that the Maharashtra Cabinet expansion will take place soon, for which the date will be finalized by the CM.
Earlier this month, Ajit Pawar along with eight MLAs of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government. While Pawar took oath as the deputy CM, other MLAs including Chhagan Bhujbal and Dilip Walse Patil were sworn in as ministers. Days later, Shinde said that Pawar joining the state government does not pose any threat to him.
Further commenting on Ajit Pawar’s rebellion his uncle and NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, Shinde said that parties split when hard-working workers are neglected. “Such things happen when meritorious party workers are sidelined. Ajit Pawar has himself said that it was Sharad Pawar who had wanted an alliance with the BJP in the past….in 2017, 2019 but did a U-turn later,” Shinde had told DD News in an interview.
(With PTI, India Today inputs)
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