Becoming deputy CM was shocking, says Fadnavis; ‘Shinde to lead in 2024’

Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday said it was not shocking to him when Eknath Shinde’s name was announced as the chief minister as it was his proposal.

But becoming the deputy chief minister was shocking as he did not want to be part of the new government, he said at the India Today conclave.

Fadnavis also confirmed that the 2024 poll in the state will be contested under the leadership of Shinde. The toppling of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government was not a betrayal but revenge for the betrayal, he said. ”In 2024, we will fight the election under the leadership of Eknath Shinde as chief minister and myself as deputy CM and we will return with a huge majority,” the deputy chief minister said.

“If Eknath Shinde wanted to leave Shiv Sena because of the way he was treated by Uddhav Thackeray and Aaditya Thackeray, we were not going to ask him to go back. We were going to welcome him and support him. We have taken revenge for the betrayal,” Fadnavis said.

In 2019, the elections were fought under Fadnavis and the Sena did not object to it, Fadnavis said adding that after the results Uddhav realised that if Shiv Sena joins the hand with the Congress and the NCP, then he could become the chief minister.

On his working equation with the chief minister, Fadnavis said Shinde never makes him feel that he is the deputy chief minister and takes all decisions after consulting with him. “Shinde was made the chief minister after consultation with me. It was my proposal, so it was not a shocker for me,” he said.

“What was shocking was that I should be the deputy chief minister,” Fadnavis said adding that he did not want a post in the new government but the central leadership of the party advised him to become the deputy chief minister as he was the leader of the party in the state and had administrative experience.