BJP planned to go ahead with Maharashtra govt swearing-in without Shinde if he remained stubborn: Sanjay Raut

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut speaks with the media, in Mumbai. File
| Photo Credit: PTI

Shiv Sena, Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Friday (December 6, 2024) claimed that Mr. Eknath Shinde had to take oath as Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister because the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) top brass planned to proceed with the new Government’s swearing-in if he continued being “stubborn”.

Talking to reporters in New Delhi, Mr. Raut said that the State Government has not had a full cabinet so far despite the Mahayuti getting a thumping majority indicates that not everything is well within the alliance. He said it took as many as 15 days for the BJP to form the Government in Maharashtra despite having a massive mandate.

“Eknath Shinde had to take oath as Deputy Chief Minister. BJP had planned to go ahead with the swearing-in ceremony without Eknath Shinde. Had he maintained the stubborn attitude to pressure the BJP, its brass had informed (the state leadership) to go ahead without him,” claimed Mr. Raut.

BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis was sworn in as the state’s Chief Minister for the third time in a grand ceremony held at Azad Maidan in Mumbai on Thursday (December 5, 2024) evening. Former Chief Ministers Ekanth Shinde and Ajit Pawar took oath as deputy Chief Ministers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union ministers and Chief Ministers of NDA-ruled states attended the event.

Mr. Shinde was initially unwilling to serve as the deputy Chief Minister but joined after insistence from the BJP and his party MLAs. He had maintained silence on whether he would be part of the new Government or not. Only a few hours before the swearing-in ceremony a Shiv Sena MLA confirmed that Mr. Shinde would take oath as the deputy Chief Minister.

Mr. Raut accused the BJP of indulging in “politics of vengeance” in the state by using central agencies. In a veiled attack on Mr. Shinde, the Sena (UBT) MP also said that some faces were unhappy during the swearing-in ceremony. “The same faces were glum when Mr. Uddhav Thackeray took oath as Chief Minister in 2019,” he said.