Virtually showing the door to the Shiv Sena, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday declared that there was never any talk of sharing the Chief Ministerial post with the Shiv Sena for 2.5 years each. Fadnavis was addressing the media after he officially submitted his resignation as the Maharashtra Chief Minister to Governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari.
"There was no talk anytime before me over sharing the post of CM for two-and-half years each between the two parties... (Union Minister) Nitin Gadkari and I spoke with BJP President Amit Shah who also said there was no such commitment on this," he told the media.
Fadnavis also asserted that the state will soon get a BJP government.
"The kind of words and language used by the Sena has never been done even by the Opposition parties. It is regretful. This was not expected of the party which is in alliance at the centre and state, and accepts Modiji as its leader," Fadnavis said.
"Each and every BJP leader and worker is pained by this. It is wrong on their part... we can't tolerate such language against our leaders. If they think we cannot give them a reply, they are mistaken. We can give them a befitting reply in even harsher language, but we restrain ourselves. It’s not in our culture. In such circumstances, its difficult to say how to run the government with them," he added.
Fadnavis also noted that immediately after the election results, Sena President Uddhav Thackeray had stated that all options were open before them for forming the government.
"This was like a big shock for us. We had gone to the people unitedly and the people have voted jointly for the BJP-Sena, under the leadership of Modiji. It was traumatic for us, but I made it clear in the beginning that it will be again a 'Maha-Yuti' government," he added.
Later, he said the Sena started making all kinds of statements, was talking to all other parties but the BJP, Thackeray refused to take his phone calls and "from this, it appears they don't want to continue the alliance with us".
However, to a question, he categorically said that this did not mean that the alliance with the Sena is broken and declared it "is very much on."
Responding to Fadnavis’s charges, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray too addressed a press conference later, accusing the BJP of lying.
“We had never closed the doors for discussion, they (BJP) lied to us so we did not talk to them. It is very sad that even as they’re cleaning the Ganga, their minds became polluted. I felt bad that we entered into an alliance with the wrong people,” Thackeray said, adding that they have not held talks with the NCP.
“I had promised Balasaheb (his father) that there will be a Shiv Sena Chief Minister one day, and I will fulfill that promise, I don't need Amit Shah and Devendra Fadnavis for that,” Thackeray added.
Meanwhile, Devendra Fadnavis stated that the Governor has asked him to be the caretaker Chief Minister till the government is formed in Maharashtra. The tenure of the assembly expires on November 9.
(With IANS inputs)