Devendra Fadnavis Reveals How He Convinced Eknath Shinde To Give Up Claim To CM Chair

Maharashtra CM Fadnavis negotiated long with ally Eknath Shinde to convince him to give up his claim to the CM's chair. In an exclusive interview with ABP, he reveals his conversation with Shinde.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Source : PTI

Maharashtra Chief Minister Fadnavis is ecstatic after his historic win. However, what the country was waiting to hear was what transpired during the "silence period" of the Mahayuti when the state was plunged into uncertainty about who would be the next Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Sources had said back then that Eknath Shinde was upset at being elbowed out of the CM's chair. Convincing him to give up the claim to the top post took 11 days.

Devendra Fadnavis has finally revealed how he negotiated and convinced the caretaker CM and his ally in the Mahayuti, Eknath Shinde, to give up the claim to the CM's chair. "Eknath Shinde was not angry. I sat with Shindeji and told him that even I did not want to become the Chief Minister. I told him that when my party asked me to assume the CM's chair, I, too, felt that the strongest person with a valid claim should helm the government if we were to run the alliance. He [Eknath Shinde] immediately agreed. I have no problem working under you," Fadnavis said in an exclusive interview with ABP News.

#EXCLUSIVE | सरकार बनाने में हुई देरी पर बनें मीम्स पर बोले CM फडणवीस-'बहुत मजेदार मीम्स बनें, इससे बहुत ज़्यादा एंटरटेनमेंट हुआ, हम तीनों ने भी इसे आपस में शेयर किया'@Dev_Fadnavis से @MeghaSPrasad की खास बातचीत#DevendraFadnavis #CMDevendraFadnavis #Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/SBYJvFufWv

— ABP News (@ABPNews) December 6, 2024

 

 

 

Who Will Get The Home Ministry?

Fadnavis sidestepped a question on the Home portfolio allocation, saying all three parties had received massive mandates and it was necessary to manage the aspirations of all leaders. According to Fadnavis, the Mahayuti will be ready to declare all portfolio allocations by December 16, before the BJP's Nagpur convention.

#EXCLUSIVE | गृह मंत्रालय को लेकर हुई खींचातानी पर क्या बोले CM देवेंद्र फडणवीस ? सुनिए@Dev_Fadnavis से @MeghaSPrasad की खास बातचीत#DevendraFadnavis #CMDevendraFadnavis #Maharashtra #MaharashtraElections2024 pic.twitter.com/LvK4lcTLx1

— ABP News (@ABPNews) December 6, 2024

He said the Mahayuti had "almost" agreed upon the Cabinet-sharing formula, but the Home Ministry is yet to be decided on. He said all three parties of the Mahayuti will get equal respect during the ministerial berth allocation. He also said the delay in the allocation of ministries was due to the "problem of plenty". "We are very happy that we have a problem of plenty," he quipped.