Saffron alliance totters| Fadnavis quits, blames Sena for Maha impasse; Thackeray says BJP liars’ party

TNN Bureau. Updated: 11/9/2019 10:00:35 AM Front Page

MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis resigned on Friday, blaming ally Shiv Sena for the impasse over government formation after the Assembly polls, with Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray hitting back at the Bharatiya Janata Party, virtually calling it a party of "liars", as the saffron alliance in Maharashtra tottered.

Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari had asked Fadnavis to continue as "acting chief minister", he told reporters.
Fadnavis's resignation came a day before the expiry of the 13th Legislative Assembly of the state.
He expressed confidence that the BJP will form the government, and hit out at the Sena for talking with the Congress and NCP but not with BJP after the results came on October 24.
Fadnavis, accompanied by some of his cabinet colleagues, drove to Raj Bhavan, and handed over his resignation to Governor Koshyari.
"The Governor has accepted my resignation. People of Maharashtra gave me the opportunity to serve them for five years. I thank them and my leaders Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, J P Nadda and others," he said, addressing a press conference later.
The Governor had asked him to continue as "acting" Chief Minister till alternative arrangements -- new government or President's rule -- are in place, he said.
The next government will be a BJP-led one, and his party will not resort to poaching MLAs, he said.
"People of Maharashtra gave us a good mandate in Lok Sabha elections and in Assembly polls the people gave more than 160 seats to the BJP-led alliance," he said.
“However, it was a shock for the BJP when the Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray declared soon after the results that "all options were open for Shiv Sena to form the government", Fadnavis said.
"People had voted for Maha-yuti (BJP-Sena-led alliance). Why did Uddhav ji say that all options are open when I had said the new government will be that of Mahayuti?" he asked.
On the Shiv Sena's contention that the two parties had decided, before the Lok Sabha polls, that the CM's post will be shared for two-and-half-years each, Fadnavis said, "In my presence, no such decision was not taken. In fact, we had broken off the talks on this issue. I was present at all the deliberations. I checked with Amit Shah ji, who also said that a proposal for sharing chief minister's post was given, but no decision was taken."
“Misunderstandings could be resolved through talks, but the Sena shunned talks,” Fadnavis alleged.
"Uddhav Thackeray did not take my calls. We did not stop discussions. Our doors were open," he said.
Without naming Sena leader Sanjay Raut, who has been relentlessly attacking the BJP, Fadnavis said such statements against the BJP and its top leadership were not conducive for government formation.
"We can respond to such statements but we did not. Even our opponents have not made the kind of comments that were made against Modi ji in the last five years (by the Sena and its mouthpiece, Raut-edited Saamana)," he said, adding "we will not tolerate criticism of Modi ji."
Talking about his position as caretaker CM, he said, "I will function at the pleasure of governor till alternative arrangement is made. I cannot take new policy decisions.
"Fresh elections should not be imposed...the state should get a new government and we will make efforts in that direction. I am confident that we will have a BJP-led government," he said.
Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray strongly countered Devendra Fadnavis's claim that BJP and Sena had not agreed on sharing of Maharashtra chief minister's post during Thackeray's talks with BJP chief Amit shah.
“There will be no talks with the BJP unless it accepted that the two allies had decided share the chief minister's post,” he said.
He will fulfill the promise made to his father, late Bal Thackeray, to install a Shiv Sena chief minister in the state, and "I do not need Shah or Fadnavis for this," Uddhav, who spoke to the media soon after Fadnavis resigned as chief minister, said.
"I will not talk to people who call me a liar. I will not tolerate this. The caretaker (CM) should not try to prove that I am a liar. I have never spoken lies in my life," Thackeray said on Fadnavis's claim.
Asked about the status of alliance with the BJP, Thackeray said, "BJP should state that there was agreement on sharing of chief minister's post. It was their prerogative to refuse my demand now, but they cannot not say this was never agreed on (in the past)."
"I will not have any truck with those who call me a liar. I stopped the government formation talks the day Fadnavis said sharing of chief minister's post was never decided," he said.
The "Amit Shah and company" was lying, he said.
Asked if the Sena will accept Fadnavis as CM, Thackeray said, "I want to ask RSS whether speaking lies is part of your Hindutva.
He does not consider BJP as enemy but it should not make false statements, the Sena chief said.
Listing his grievances with the BJP, Thackeray said the Satara Lok Sabha seat was in the Sena's quota. "But Fadnavis fielded Udayanraje Bhosale (in a byelection) on BJP ticket without asking me (when Bhosale, sitting MP, quit and joined BJP)."
On Fadnavis's charge that the Sena stooped very low while criticising the BJP in the last five years and also attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Thackeray reminded the BJP of Bhosale's past critical comments about Modi.
"What did Udayanraje say about Modi when he was in NCP? What was (JJP leader) Dushyant Chautala speaking about Modi before joining hands with BJP (in Haryana)?" he asked, and even played a video clip of Chautala's past statments.
The Sena had criticised the Modi governments' policies but not the prime minister in person, he said.
It was BJP chief Shah and Fadnavis who had approached him for a pre-poll alliance earlier this year, Thackeray said.
"My condition was sharing of chief minister's post. The talks had to be halted for sometime because of my demand. But Amit Shah contacted me again and later it was agreed.
“Devendra Fadnavis was aware of the decision. But he said let's not announce it now. Then Fadnavis told the media that all posts and responsibilities will be shared. Isn't chief minister a post? Isn't it a responsibility," the Sena chief asked.
Asked about the Shiv Sena's future course of action, Thackeray said, "Let the BJP form government first. The second option is that governor will invite the second largest party (which is Shiv Sena). When that happens, Shiv Sena will declare its stand. President's rule will be enforced if no government is formed."
The BJP and Shiv Sena are locked in a tussle over the chief minister's post, despite the Assembly poll results on October 24 giving the alliance a combined seat strength of 161, way past the 145 majority mark in the 288-member House.
In the polls, the BJP won 105 seats, Shiv Sena-56, NCP-54 and the Congress won 44 seats.


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