Maharashtra BJP chief’s statement on CM's post sparks debate

As the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government completes six months, the statements of state BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankule and state Forest Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar comes as a surprise.

The government involving the rebel faction of the Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Shinde and BJP by Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis - is often referred to as the ED-sarkar.

Ever since the new government took shape on 30 June after dislodging the Sharad Pawar-crafted and Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government comprising Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress, many in the in BJP - which is the single largest party - are restless.

The first one to publicly air views was then BJP President Chandrakant Patil, who is now the state Higher and Technical Education Minister.

“We have made Eknath Shinde the chief minister instead of Devendra Fadnavis with a heavy height. We had to stabilize the government and to give a message...We digested this sorrow and moved ahead with joy,” he had said.

However, now Patil’s successor Bawankule, who is an MLC, has made a similar statement.

With Fadnavis next to him at a function in Nagpur, Bawankule said: “Till I am the state BJP "resident, Devendra Fadnavis should be the Chief Minister….so, it is our responsibility to get him installed as the Chief Minister….we don’t want to install Fadnavis on the highest post just for the sake of it…But for change the fortune of Maharashtra…If one person can define the future of Maharashtra, it is Devendra ji.”

Bawankule’s statement gave much needed fodder to the MVA to target the functioning of the BSS-BJP alliance.

"Would it be by holding early state polls or by getting Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to resign?" NCP spokesperson Clyde Crasto asked.

Just a day earlier during the MVA mega rally in Mumbai, Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut had said the Shinde-led government will not last till February.

However, BSS-BJP said that Raut has just mentioned February but had not specified any year and the Vidhan Sabha elections are due in 2024.

On Monday, Bawankule, however, clarified that what he said is the wish of lakhs of party workers. “ What I said was not limited to this government or its tenure,” he said, adding: “I said that till I am President….I have quite some time left….I am not talking about today or now.” “I asked for people’s opinion and they said yes,” he said.

Asked who would lead the polls, he said: “All these would be decided by leadership including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President JP Nadda…we are working under Shinde ji and Devendra ji…in whichever places Shinde’s (party) will contest the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha polls, the BJP cadres will support then.”

Mungantiwar, a former BJP President, on the other hand said that the Shinde-Fadnavis government and combination is doing well.

Mungantiwar said: “Yes it is “ED”government…”E” stands for economic and “D” stands for development….the “S” of Shinde is super and “F” of Fadnavis is “fast”…our government is a “super fast” government.”