<p>Amid hectic political developments, Eknath Shinde claimed that Uddhav Thackeray was keen and ensured that he was the Maharashtra chief minister after the 2019 Vidhan Sabha polls - a charge that the latter vehemently denied saying that he wanted to fulfil the dream of late Balasaheb Thackeray to see a Shiv Sainik in the top post. </p>.<p>When the Maha Vikas Aghadi came into being - it was NCP supremo Sharad Pawar who asked Thackeray to become the chief minister for stability of the coalition, however, now Shinde has contested the claim.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/west/minor-raped-forced-to-undergo-abortion-in-maharashtras-beed-14-booked-1235592.html" target="_blank">Minor raped, forced to undergo abortion in Maharashtra's Beed; 14 booked</a></strong></p>.<p>“…Actually he (Thackeray) wanted to become the chief minister…he actually sent people to Pawar with a message…he wanted Pawar to propose his name,” Shinde, who is now the chief leader of Shiv Sena, said in an interview to a Marathi news channel.</p>.<p>However, Thackeray, who was in Vidarbha, told reporters that the claim was wrong. “I had given a promise to Balasaheb to make a Shiv Sainik the chief minister… and that’s what I told (then BJP president and now union home minister) Amit Shah,” he said, referring to the February 2019 meeting in which the power-sharing deal between the Shiv Sena and BJP for the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha polls was sealed including sharing of the chief minister’s post for two-and-a-half years. </p>.<p>However, over the last three years, the BJP has vehemently denied any such promise made by Shah to Thackeray.</p>.<p>"Balasaheb has taught me... before you give a word to someone, think a hundred times... think a lakh times, but once you have given it ensured that it is fulfilled and you don't go back... I wanted to fulfil the promise made to Balasaheb," added Thackeray. </p>
<p>Amid hectic political developments, Eknath Shinde claimed that Uddhav Thackeray was keen and ensured that he was the Maharashtra chief minister after the 2019 Vidhan Sabha polls - a charge that the latter vehemently denied saying that he wanted to fulfil the dream of late Balasaheb Thackeray to see a Shiv Sainik in the top post. </p>.<p>When the Maha Vikas Aghadi came into being - it was NCP supremo Sharad Pawar who asked Thackeray to become the chief minister for stability of the coalition, however, now Shinde has contested the claim.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/west/minor-raped-forced-to-undergo-abortion-in-maharashtras-beed-14-booked-1235592.html" target="_blank">Minor raped, forced to undergo abortion in Maharashtra's Beed; 14 booked</a></strong></p>.<p>“…Actually he (Thackeray) wanted to become the chief minister…he actually sent people to Pawar with a message…he wanted Pawar to propose his name,” Shinde, who is now the chief leader of Shiv Sena, said in an interview to a Marathi news channel.</p>.<p>However, Thackeray, who was in Vidarbha, told reporters that the claim was wrong. “I had given a promise to Balasaheb to make a Shiv Sainik the chief minister… and that’s what I told (then BJP president and now union home minister) Amit Shah,” he said, referring to the February 2019 meeting in which the power-sharing deal between the Shiv Sena and BJP for the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha polls was sealed including sharing of the chief minister’s post for two-and-a-half years. </p>.<p>However, over the last three years, the BJP has vehemently denied any such promise made by Shah to Thackeray.</p>.<p>"Balasaheb has taught me... before you give a word to someone, think a hundred times... think a lakh times, but once you have given it ensured that it is fulfilled and you don't go back... I wanted to fulfil the promise made to Balasaheb," added Thackeray. </p>
