I Will Be The CM: Devendra Fadnavis Trashes Shiv Sena's 50:50 Demand On CM Post

Maharastra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said the Shiv Sena was not promised the Chief Minister's post for two-and-a-half years when the alliance was formalised before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

BJP Legislature Party will elect its new leader on Wednesday. (File Photo/ Getty)

Mumbai: In what comes as a major hit to Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena in Maharastra, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said the Shiv Sena was not promised the Chief Minister's post for two-and-a-half years when the alliance was formalised before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Amid the ongoing tussle between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Sena over sharing of power in the next state government, Fadnavis also asserted that he will be the chief minister for another five years. "I have no doubt that I will be the CM. There are no plan B or C. There is only plan A, and that will work," Fadnavis said. The BJP-led alliance will provide a "stable and efficient" government for next five years, Fadnavis said. He also cleared out party president Amit Shah has confirmed nothing has been decided on CM post to Shiv Sena. "No formula is decided yet," he said adding that the BJP Legislature Party will elect its new leader on Wednesday. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already announced the name and the meeting will be a formality," he said, apparently referring to Modi's statement during campaigning for polls that Fadnavis will lead the coalition. Watch | BJP did not promise 50-50 formula to Shiv Sena, CM Fadnavis sends message Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray last week reminded the BJP of the 50:50 formula "agreed upon" between himself, BJP president Amit Shah and Fadnavis ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. "The Shiv Sena was not promised CM's post for two- and-a-half years when the alliance was formalised before the Lok Sabha polls," Fadnavis told reporters at his official residence 'Varsha'. "45 newly elected MLAs in Shiv Sena are in touch with Chief Minister & want alliance government to be formed. I think few of these 45 MLAs will convince Uddhav Thackeray and form government with Devendra Fadnavis as CM. I don't think there is any other option, BJP MP Sanjay Kakade told news agency ANI. Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Tuesday once again reminded the BJP of the 50-50 power sharing formula and said it has other options as well. In a no holds barred attack on its ally BJP, Raut said on Tuesday: "There's no Dushyant Chautala here whose father is in jail. We do politics of truth in Maharashtra. If someone tries to keep us away from the power, then it will not be the politics of truth. We are seeing what's happening and how low people can stoop". It was a clear reference to the way the BJP cobbled up a government in Haryana where it fell six short of the magic number, but formed the government with Dushyant Chautala's help, who ran an election campaign on Jat consolidation and anti-BJP rhetoric. Immediately, a day after the deal was announced between the two, Ajay Chautala, the father of Dushyant was released on furlough from Tihar. Raut insinuated that Haryana was a quid pro quo, but such scenarios were absent in Maharashtra for the BJP to exploit. In a clear hint, Raut said, they have "other options" too, which they are not keen to explore. This was a clear message to the BJP that it can form the government, regardless of the BJP's support. This is coming in the backdrop of the offer of support by an NCP-backed Independent legislator, Shankarrao Gadakh on Monday. The Sena, which won 56 seats in the Assembly polls, has claimed that its tally now has reached 61 with the support of five more MLAs. The Sena is bargaining hard for an equal share in the power, which means an equal number of ministries and the rotational Chief minister's. Sena argues that the condition on which it went into a pre-poll alliance with the BJP before the 2019 General Election was that the 50-50 agreement would be abided by both for Maharashtra Assembly election as well. In fact, the reason the pre-poll alliance announcement before the General Election between the two parties got delayed because Sena wanted an assurance on the Assembly polls as well. Meanwhile, the BJP, which has 105 seats in the 288-member House, isn't sitting idle either. Two Independent MLAs -- Ravi Rana (Badnera Assembly seat in Amravati district) and Kishor Jorgewar (Chandrapur) -- have pledged their support to the BJP. Both the parties are known for making hard bargains in the past also. After 2014 Maharashtra election, the BJP has witnessed a decline in its numbers. Sensing the situation, the Sena, therefore, is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that one of its own, possibly Uddhav Thackeray shares the Chief Minister's post this time in the rotational turn with BJP's Devendra Fadnavis. Interestingly, neither side is willing to blink first. (With inputs from agencies)