Had We Not Been Backstabbed In 2019, Maharashtra Would Have Seen Stable Govt: Fadnavis At Ideas Of India

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis frankly spoke on the exciting political landscape of Maharashtra politics and revealed what transpired in 2019 at the Ideas Of India Summit.

Speaking at the ABP Network's Ideas of India Summit, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the state would have seen a stable government much before had the BJP not been backstabbed in 2019 "against the people's mandate". Weighing in on the turbulent political landscape of Maharashtra, Fadnavis said, "Such things happen when the government chosen by the people are rejected. Had we not been backstabbed in 2019, Maharashtra would have seen a stable government, as it is seeing now."

Talking about the BJP's talks with the NCP and the hectic parleys that transpired till the deal was finalised, Fadnavis revealed that Sharad Pawar had greenlighted the alliance but backed out at the last moment, leaving Ajit Pawar to fend for himself. 

Alliance With NCP Strategic, But Emotional With Shiv Sena

Speaking on the difference in the alliance of BJP with the NCP and the Shiv Sena, Fadnavis clarified that the Shinde faction of Shiv Sena was the one that stood by the principles of Balasaheb Thackeray and that the saffron party had an emotional alliance with the Shiv Sena, but with the NCP the partnership was more strategic.

Fadnavis said, "Eknath Shinde's faction is the 'Real Shiv Sena'. This is the faction that is based on Balasaheb Thackeray's ideology. This is an emotional alliance. But the partnership with Ajit Pawar's NCP is strategic, not emotional."

Speaking on the political developments 2019, he said, "Eknath Shinde tried to bring Uddhav Thackeray and BJP to the table for an alliance... But Uddhav Thackeray's behaviour put everyone's [in party] existence in jeopardy. That's when Shinde decided to ally with us."

"After working with me for 5 years, Uddhav Thackeray didn't even have the courtesy to pick up the phone and say that an alliance is not possible," he said.

When asked about his future plans in the heated political arena of the state, the deputy chief minister said, "A lot is left to do now, just wait and watch what happens next."

Challenges In Coalition Govt

Speaking if it had been challenging to run a coalition government and as the deputy chief minister, he said, "Every government has its own way of working and previously I was working as the Chief Minister and that had a different way of working, responsibilities were different -  now I am working as the deputy chief minister but I can say it that even now my agenda as the chief minister is the same as my agenda now. And our CM Eknath Shinde respects the works that I take up and he backs my agenda that I wish to carry it forward."

Idea Of India

Speaking about his idea of India, Fadnavis reiterated PM Modi's thoughts and said, "India is a idea whose time has come. And what PM said 'this is the time and the right time', I can see it. The way the country is changing and the kind of opportunities India is getting in the arena of geopolitics, I believe if we don't grab this opportunity, we will never be able to realise the dreams of Viksit Bharat.' 

"India will be on auto-pilot mode in next five years. Nobody can stop India's journey under PM Modi's leadership," he said. 

Fadnavis, the current Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, stands as the second-youngest individual from the state to assume the role of Chief Minister. 

Collaborative federalism has emerged as a defining principle under the Narendra Modi administration, which led to the establishment of Niti Aayog as the pivotal agency tasked with realising the objectives of collaborative federalism.

Throughout his tenure in the Maharashtra Cabinet, as both the chief minister and the deputy chief minister, Fadnavis actively participated in numerous NITI Aayog meetings and initiatives. He serves as the co-chairperson of the Maharashtra Institution for Transformation – MITRA – overseeing the effective implementation of collaborative federalism initiatives.

Marked by a host of initiatives lauded nationwide, Devendra Fadnavis's leadership also witnessed the launch of the 'Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems' project. This made Maharashtra the first state to deploy a digital crime tracking and identification system.

The Ideas Of India Summit

The 'Ideas Of India Summit' represents ABP Network's flagship annual event, addressing a spectrum of issues impacting daily life, spanning politics, business, entertainment, geopolitics, literature, education, and beyond. Held just ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election, this year's summit adopts the theme 'The People's Agenda'. 

This comes after the grand success of the previous two editions 'Naya India' and 'Open-Minds Open Minds' which explored the ideas and concepts that excited India. The third edition also promises a rollercoster ride of invigorating conversations.