Mumbai: Just as Amit Shah, the national president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Union Home Minister assured that Devendra Fadnavis is the party candidate for the Chief Minister post for the second term, the party is singing a new tune.
Fadnavis till now has said their party and the Shiv Sena will contest the election together and now suddenly felt ‘concerned’ about their alliance with the Sena.
“I am concerned about the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance, as our discussions are yet to start,” Fadnavis said at a press conference on Monday at the BJP headquarters, Nariman Point in Mumbai.
Underlining the importance of the saffron alliance, Fadnavis said, “The two parties have been in alliance for the last 25 years. The people of Maharashtra have exuded confidence in us, and we will soon take a final call.”
Over the last few weeks, the saffron alliance has hit rocky roads over the seat-sharing deadlock for the assembly election. Reportedly, the BJP offered Sena 126 seats, while keeping 162 seats for themselves. Sena is unhappy because they reminded BJP of the 50-50 sharing promise made to them.
Meanwhile, on the ongoing Aarey controversy, of cutting down of over 2,700 trees for the carshed, both the parties have come out in the open against each other.
The chief minister has backed the metro carshed project at Aarey, while the Yuva Sena chief, Aaditya Thackeray, has opposed the felling of the trees.
Earlier, at a media conclave in the city on Saturday, CM Fadnavis asserted both Sena and BJP will contest the election together. “There is full probability that BJP and Sena will participate in the election hand-in-hand,” he said.
With Aaditya contesting his maiden election, speculations are rife that the Sena protege has been vying for the chief minister’s post. Although, he is yet to comment on the issue of taking any post after the assembly election if the alliance wins a majority, his primary agenda as of now is to address public grievances.
Further, chief minster Devendra Fadnavis stated if the Shiv Sena agrees, Aaditya Thackeray will be given the post of the Deputy chief minister.
