A day after Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis revealed that he was offered the chief minister’s post by the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray during the rebellion by the Eknath Shinde-led faction in June 2022, Sena MP Sanjay Raut said Fadnavis was trying to create "sensationalism" and "confusion" among the people. During an interview with Zee News, a Maratha news channel, when asked whether Uddhav Thackeray had contacted him, urged him to forget the past and said they were ready to join hands with the BJP, Fadnavis said, "Yes, I was contacted. But I replied that we have moved forward. I was told that whatever has happened has happened, now you become the chief minister. I made it clear that that moment had passed. I am not the one who will betray. Now these people (Shinde rebels) had come with us and we cannot ditch them. When they have rebelled and joined hands with us, we cannot betray them. This cannot be part of our politics. And that is why I refused it…" On Saturday, Raut did not deny that communication was established with Fadnavis. "Uddhav Thackeray was the chief minister then and Devendra Fadnavis the Opposition leader. What is wrong when two leaders communicate?..He must have spoken to Fadnavis.," he said. Asked whether the chief minister's post was offered to Fadnavis, Raut said, "Fadnavis was trying to create sensationalism and create confusion among people. In politics, people discuss their respective stands. When two leaders communicate and discuss certain issues, what is the point in sensationalising the discussion?" Raut said Fadnavis was desperately trying to draw attention towards himself as he had failed to become the chief minister. "Every day, he is trying to create some sensationalism in a bid to draw attention towards himself. He could not become the chief minister but now as Deputy Chief Minister he is trying to assert his importance," he added. During the 2019 elections, when Fadnavis had tried to contact Uddhav Thackeray to form the government, he (Uddhav) had refused to even take his calls. Fadnavis has repeatedly highlighted this during his press conferences in the last three-four years. Meanwhile, NCP leader Ajit Pawar said in Pimpri-Chinchwad on Friday evening that the NCP-Congress had never made any attempt to decimate the Shiv Sena (UBT) like the BJP has been doing. "Everyone knows who took MLAs to Surat and Guwahati. Everyone knows who broke the Shiv Sena. In fact, Uddhav Thackeray himself has said that Congress-NCP helped Shiv Sena in difficult times while its own partner of 25 years has back-stabbed the Shiv Sena," Pawar said.
