Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, June 30: True to the prediction by the Real Voice of India (Revoi), the rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde will be the next chief minister of Maharashtra and the BJP for the time being will extend support to the government from outside.
The surprise announcement about the BJP staking the claim of the Sena rebels while its top leader and former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis stepping aside despite being a much larger party in the Maharashtra Assembly with 106 members, was made by Fadnavis himself soon after he along with Shinde met the governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari on Thursday morning.
Shinde will take oath of the chief minister’s office and secrecy at the Raj-Bhavan later on Thursday evening and swearing-in of other members of his cabinet would be held later. Fadnavis said the BJP would join the Shinde cabinet later but he himself would not hold any portfolio and would continue to support the government from outside.
Shinde profusely thanked the prime minister Narendra Modi, the BJP central leadership, Fadnavis and other BJP leaders for showing the “magnanimity” of offering the top post to him despite it being a much larger party and said he and his teammates would strive hard to fulfil the dreams of the Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray. “It’s BJP’s magnanimity. They had a bigger mandate, yet they made me the Chief Minister. Who does that?” he said.
“I will stay out of the government and ensure it runs smoothly,” Fadnavis said, announcing that Mr Shinde will be sworn in at 7:30 pm. No other minister will take oath today, Fadnavis had said earlier.
Uddhav Thackeray quit as Maharashtra Chief Minister yesterday, shortly after the Supreme Court ruled that he must prove his majority. The Shiv Sena chief was left with only 13 MLAs after the revolt that played out in three BJP-ruled states. Eknath Shinde and a group of rebels first moved to Gujarat’s Surat in luxury buses. They were flown to Assam’s Guwahati in chartered flights. They landed in Goa last evening to prepare for a possible test of strength.
Deepak Kesarkar, the spokesperson for the Sena rebels, stressed that it was ideology, and not greed for better posts, that drove them to switch sides and go with the BJP. He also said the rebels did not betray Uddhav Thackeray and still have love and respect for him. “Nobody in Shiv Sena is against the Thackeray family,” he said.
He asserted that the rebel faction is the Shiv Sena now, since Uddhav Thackeray is in a minority in the party. “It’s not a question of who is the real Shiv Sena. We have the legal majority and thus ours is the legislature party,” he said.
Addressing a press conference with Fadnavis on his side, Shinde said he was happy as a minister in the Uddhav Thackeray-led government but was noticing what was happening around. “I will take the thought of Hindutva forward. When 50 MLAs take a different stand, it should have been noted seriously. I was happy as minister but was seeing what all wrong were happening around. That’s why I decided to take this stand,” he said.
“BJP has more than 106 MLAs and independents but still they give me, a Sena worker, the opportunity. I thank Modiji, Shahji and Fadnavis ji for this,” he said. “Mr. Fadnavis is such a large hearted person. He won’t be in cabinet but still he has given up on everything.” “These 50 MLAs (rebel Sena MLAs and independents) have shown great trust in me. I will ensure that their trust is not violated. We are 50 and here are 120. It’s a great strength and i am sure many more will come. The Centre and State will walk together and will take the State on the path of development” said Shinde.
Fadnavis said a government with Hindutva, pro-development, and with a new vision would work. Clarifying that the BJP will be part of the Cabinet, Mr. Fadnavis said he would not hold any ministerial position. “Maha Vikas Aghadi was the corrupt alliance which compromised on the popular mandate. Sena MLAs questioned it but Uddhav Thackeray decided to hear the Congress and the NCP. We have been saying that when this government falls we will give alternate government and won’t impose (mid-term) polls,” Fadnavis said.
“Mr. Shinde has made claim as CM. We (BJP) have supported it. We and independents along with Sena MLAs supported him. Only Shinde will be sworn in at 7.30 p.m. today. After that the Shinde group and our people will be sworn in in cabinet expansion,” he added.
The Shiv Sena leader and spokesman Sanjay Raut on Thursday said the rebels have chosen their way and there would be no hindrance from the party in the path of the dissidents to associate with the BJP, and the Sena would play the role of constructive opposition to the new government.
Talking to reporters a day after Sena president Uddhav Thackeray resigned as the State chief minister following a rebellion that rocked his government, Raut also said the dissident leaders would “regret” their decision to part ways with the Shiv Sena.
The battle for the Sena is separately expected to play out before the Election Commission of India as the Shinde has maintained it is the real Shiv Sena. It remains to be seen how many Sena Members of Parliament back the Shinde faction.
Shinde on Wednesday reiterated that they are not rebels and remain Shiv Sainiks while pledging to carry forward Sena founder Bal Thackeray’s agenda and Hindutva ideology.
Uddhav Thackeray maintained he was not going anywhere either and will meet Shiv Sainiks at Sena Bhavan and rebuild the party with new blood. He insisted the Shiv Sena would remain the same and nobody can take it away from them. Thackeray said he was not going away forever and will be around to gather all his people.
Despite evidence of its protection and facilitation of the rebels, the BJP denied any role in the Shiv Sena coup. Fadnavis held two meetings with the leadership during the crisis. A third meeting saw Eknath Shinde being flown from Guwahati to Vadodara for discussions with Fadnavis and Home Minister Amit Shah, the BJP’s chief strategist.