New Delhi: The political drama in Maharashtra continues to unfold, with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde alleging a sinister plot by the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government to arrest his deputy, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Devendra Fadnavis.
Shinde in an interview with news agency ANI claimed that this plan was a calculated move to weaken the BJP, potentially luring its MLAs to join the MVA alliance. He alleges that the MVA leadership, despite his objections, insisted on pursuing the plan, justifying it as revenge for perceived wrongdoings by the BJP. “This is what I feel sad about. They had planned everything. I had objected when they said they would arrest Devendra Fadnavis, which could have put the BJP on the back foot and potentially their MLAs could have joined Maha Vikas Aghadi,” Shinde said.
Shinde also revealed that he himself was targeted in a separate case related to land selling, but he uncovered the MVA’s plan after becoming Chief Minister. “It was a case of urban land selling. They planned to implicate me as well in that case. I had some suspicions as I heard about it from some officers but when I became the Chief Minister, I got to know about their full planning,” Shinde said.
The interview also saw Shinde criticise his former party boss, Uddhav Thackeray, for alleged undue interference by his family members in government affairs, claiming it was unfair and had contributed to Thackeray’s erratic behaviour. “His interference didn’t bother me, but then his family members started interfering, which wasn’t fair,” he added.
However, Shinde expressed admiration for Raj Thackeray, the MNS chief, who had left the Shiv Sena amid strained relations with his cousin, Uddhav. Shinde suggests that Raj Thackeray was unfairly sidelined despite his dedication to the party, contradicting the wishes of Balasaheb Thackeray. “BabaSaheb Thackeray ki icchha nhi thi ki Raj Thackeray jaye (Bala sahab Thackeray’s never wanted that Raj Thackeray to leave them),” Shinde said.
While acknowledging their current political separation, Shinde maintains that Raj Thackeray is not against the coalition and suggests a potential future alliance. “In the previous Lok Sabha, he came to our stage. If we are not fighting together then he is not against us either. There is still time. I mean, he (Raj Thackeray) deserved it at that time. They were the ones who were working,” he said.
