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Maharashtra: After Eknath Shinde announced as CM, Nadda says Fadnavis will be deputy CM
Earlier, Fadnavis had said he would not be a part of the Shinde-led ministry, but would offer every support from outside.
Eknath Shinde, 58, who had raised a banner of revolt against the leadership of Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray,will be sworn in on Thursday evening as the 20th chief Minister of Maharashtra. Soon after this announcement, BJP chief JP Nadda said Devendra Fadnavis would be the Deputy CM of the state.
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Fadnavis, in a surprise move, had announced that his party would extend support to Shinde and 50 of the rebel MLAs to form the new government in Maharashtra.
Outnumbered after a rebellion in his own party and realising he would not be able to prove majority on the floor of the Assembly, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday night had resigned, shortly after the Supreme Court declined to stay a floor test called Thursday by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari.
“We are not after power. This is a fight for ideology and Hindutva and for that reason, the BJP has decided that it will support Eknath Shinde, who will be the chief minister,” Fadnavis said at a press conference in Mumbai
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Fadnavis said the Shiv Sena, by joining hands with Congress and NCP in 2019 to keep BJP out of power, had insulted the public mandate. He further claimed there was “rampant corruption” during the rule of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, citing that two NCP leaders were in jail on corruption charges. Fadnavis had also said he would not be a part of the Shinde-led ministry, but would offer every support from outside.