Mumbai: Taking a jibe at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Devendra Fadnavis over his remarks that he still feels as the chief minister of Maharashtra, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar on Wednesday said he lacked this trait even though he had served as the CM for four times.
“It’s good that the BJP leader still considers himself as the chief minister. I congratulate him. After being the chief minister for five years, Fadnavis still feels he is holding the post,” Pawar said, PTI reported.
“I lacked this trait. I had served as chief minister (of Maharashtra) four times. But I don't even remember,” he added.
The NCP chief also referred to Fadnavis’ “Me Punha Yein” (I will return) slogan, which had become popular before the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly polls.
Earlier on Tuesday, Fadnavis said that he did not feel that he had ceased to be the chief minister because of the people’s love.
“I still feel that I am chief minister as I have been roaming in the state over the last two years. The love and affection of people have not receded,” he said at an event in Navi Mumbai.
Fadnavis was sworn-in as the chief minister of Maharashtra after the 2014 assembly elections.
The lawyer-turned-politician went on to complete a full term, something which no chief minister of Maharashtra had managed in the previous three decades.
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Fadnavis later forged a tie-up with a breakaway group of NCP MLAs led by Ajit Pawar and was sworn-in as the chief minister with Pawar as his deputy after the BJP’s oldest ally, the Shiv Sena, walked out of the alliance post the 2019 polls.
The government, however, lasted only for three days for want of numbers.
The NCP chief also commented on the violence in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri on October 3 in which eight people, including four farmers, were killed and demanded the resignation of Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Kumar Mishra.
He also lashed out at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over the incident.
“The farmers were crushed to death in Lakhimpur. Farmers alleged that son of MoS was present. After SC observation, he was arrested. Ruling party should take a stand. Neither UP CM nor MoS Home can escape. MoS Home should resign,” he said.