BJP not keen on toppling MVA govt, it will collapse on its own: Devendra Fadnavis

Amid hectic political developments and back-to-back meetings in Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said that BJP is not keen on toppling the Maha Vikas Aghadi government.

However, he said that the government will collapse on its own.

The speculations started when Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s close aide and Shiv Sena chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut met the Leader of Opposition Fadnavis on Saturday over lunch – apparently to discuss an interview for Sena mouthpiece Saamana.

“We are not keen or interested in bringing down the (MVA) government….people of the state are very unhappy, it will collapse on its own,” said former Chief Minister Fadnavis.

According to him, BJP is working as an effective opposition and will continue to raise public issues.

As the meeting raised eyebrows, both Fadnavis and Raut clarified that it was a meeting where broad contours of the interview were discussed.

“Raut has asked me for an interview, but I wanted to discuss certain things like it should not be edited and I would have my own camera,” Fadnavis said on Sunday.

On his part, Raut said: "Devendra Fadnavis is not our enemy. We have worked with him. In Maharashtra, we have a tradition…political opponents are not enemies. I met Fadnavis for his interview for Saamna. This was a pre-decided meeting. Even Uddhav Thackeray ji was aware of this," Raut told reporters.

"Is it a crime to meet Fadnavis, who is a former Chief Minister and now Leader of Opposition? We have ideological differences but we are not enemies," he added.

Raut said that he had interviewed NCP supremo Sharad Pawar and had also announced interviews with Devendra Fadnavis, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Meanwhile, Pawar met Thackeray at Varsha, the official residence of the Chief Minister. Though the details of the meeting are not known, it was meant to discuss the Covid-19 situation and the future unlocking process.

On the other hand, senior Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam said: “Congress is supporting the farmers’ protests across the country. But Shiv Sena supported the Farm Bills in Lok Sabha and at the time of voting in Rajya Sabha they sneaked out of the Parliament. Shiv Sena cannot be trusted.”