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Journalism of Courage
BOTH the string of BJP leaders calling on him to placate him over the past three days, as well as pressure from his own MLAs, seem to have finally convinced Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde to agree to take oath as Deputy Chief Minister, just two hours to go for the Maharashtra government swearing-in.
The announcement was finally made by Sena leader and former minister Uday Samant, who said: “Shinde ji will take oath as the Deputy CM of Maharashtra.”
Incidentally, Samant himself had said hours earlier that if Shinde did not accept the Deputy CM post, no one from the Sena would be part of the government.
Sources said Shinde dragged out the matter due to reservations over certain key portfolios, committing only this much that someone from the Sena would take oath as Deputy CM. On the Sena’s main demand – the Home portfolio, apart from the Deputy CM post – a BJP insider said: “It was conveyed to Shinde that if he is so keen on Home, then the Sena would have to let go of the Urban Development Ministry, as that would then go to the CM. It is now up to him.”
In the previous Mahayuti government, while Shinde held Urban Development and was CM, Fadnavis was the Home Minister and Deputy CM. Another portfolio the Sena chief is keen on is Housing.
Since he returned from Delhi last Thursday, Shinde had not met any BJP leaders, and in fact dashed off to his village as the party said he was unwell. However, the BJP persisted, first sending an emissary on Monday in the form of Girish Mahajan, with CM-designate Devendra Fadnavis following it up the next day. Fadnavis met Shinde at his official residence ‘Varsha’ for a meeting that lasted around 30 minutes.
One crucial message that the BJP carried was that Shinde should take oath as Deputy CM along with NCP leader Ajit Pawar and Fadnavis at the gala event scheduled on Thursday, and that the discussions around portfolios could continue after that.
A source said: “The BJP top leadership categorically conveyed to Shinde to let the government be formed first.”
On Wednesday, Shinde also got visitors from across the Sena ranks, who reportedly urged him to be part of the government. He then held a meeting of Sena leaders and MLAs at Varsha where, sources said, all the MLAs told him that the party needed him to be in the government.
“We told him that it would be helpful for the party if he, being a strong leader and former CM, joins the government as Deputy CM. If he does not, Sena MLAs might be neglected or might not have much of a say in the government,” a Sena leader said.
BJP leaders said there was also some blunt talk with it being laid out to Shinde that while he has 57 MLAs, including seven former BJP members, the BJP has more than double, at 132. “Along with Independents and smaller allies, the BJP tally can easily be 137 MLAs,” said a senior BJP functionary. That leaves it just 8 short of a majority, not counting the NCP’s 41.
On Wednesday, after the Mahayuti leaders had met the Governor to stake claim, Fadnavis said, “I met the CM (Shinde) yesterday at his residence and told him that all the party leaders want him to be in the government and I hope that we will get a positive reply from him. We will strive to work together and give a better government to the people, fulfilling the promises we made.”
