Mumbai: It’s now official. Almost six months after the collapse of the Shiv Sena- led Maha Vikas Aghadi government and the formation of Shinde camp-BJP government in Maharashtra, the Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ close confidant and rural development minister Mr Girish Mahajan revealed that it was BJP's mission to split Shiv Sena.
‘’All this mission was not that easy. 40 people left a party like Shiv Sena, they left after getting tired of Uddhav Thackeray. It was very difficult to leave with seventeen eighteen people and reach till fifty,’’ said Mr Mahajan in the presence of the Chief Minister Mr Eknath Shinde at the function in Jalgaon district.
Mahajan: Blessings of Chamunda Mata
‘’How did Eknath Shinde become Chief Minister? When we thought about it, we couldn't believe it either. But the operation started. Eknath Shinde went ahead and gradually all his army followed him and finally came together. It was due to the blessings of Chamunda Mata," said Mr Mahajan amid loud applause from the participants. He further added that, ‘’The legislators came and stood strongly with Eknath Shinde.’’
Mr Mahajan, who is known as BJP’s trouble shooter, claimed that the transition of power in Maharashtra took place as if it happened due to a wave and thereafter Eknath Shinde was directly put in the CM’s chair.
Mr Mahajan slammed Mr Thackeray as the chief minister during the two and half year rule of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government. However, Mr Mahajan showered praise on Mr Shinde and Mr Fadnavis for striving for the overall development of the state. ‘’I tell Eknath Shinde to sleep at least four hours or at least five hours, but he is working till 3 am. CM and DCM are working day and night, solving all the pending issues of Maharashtra and attending small programs of common people. The people of Maharashtra feel that there is a ‘Janata Raja’ who is heading the state. CM and DCM are doing the work of giving justice to Maharashtra in the true sense,’’ he asserted.
BJP has repeatedly said the revolt in Sena was its internal matter
Mr Mahajan’s statement is important as none of the BJP leaders on the record had so far admitted that it was scripted by the saffron party and carried out successfully. After Mr Shinde had left for Surat and later for Gauhati, he had once disclosed that they have the support of ‘’Maha Shakti’’ but refrained from directly naming the BJP.
BJP had repeatedly said the revolt in the Sena was its internal matter. Mr Fadnavis led a delegation which met the Governor on June 28 and handed him a letter seeking a floor test in the state Assembly. Thereafter Mr Thackeray resigned as Maharashtra Chief Minister on Wednesday, June 29 after the Supreme Court rejected MVA government’s plea seeking a stay on floor test in the Maharashtra Assembly. On June 30, Mr Shinde and Mr Fadnavis met the Governor and staked their claim to form the government.
On the same day both were sworn in. Contrary to expectations, Mr Shinde took over as the CM while Fadnavis as his deputy.
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