After skipping Mumbai event, Fadnavis to miss National Executive at Hyderabad too

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of the BJP, who was appointed No. 2 in the Shinde cabinet after initially stating that he will not be a part of the new government, was conspicuous by his absence during a celebration held at the party’s state headquarters on Friday. According to party functionary, he would also not attend the BJP’s national executive meeting in Hyderabad.

The programme at the BJP office in south Mumbai was meant to celebrate its return to power after two-and-half years following the collapse of the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government.

Also read: Fadnavis becomes fourth former Maha CM to accept junior post in another dispensation

Fadnavis, who had on Thursday announced that he would not be part of the new Eknath Shinde-led government but later took oath as deputy chief minister, did not attend the celebration.

Fadnavis aides also miss event

Fadnavis and his close associates such as MLAs Girish Mahajan, Pravin Darekar, Prasad Lad and Sanjay Kute also skipped the event.

A close aide of the former chief minister said he was busy holding meetings at his residence ahead of the two-day special session of the Maharashtra legislature from July 3.

Asked if Fadnavis would attend the national executive of the party that began in Hyderabad from Friday, a BJP functionary said, “He has spoken with our national leaders and informed them about the situation here. He would not attend the Hyderabad meeting as dates overlap with the legislature session.”

It was widely expected that Fadnavis, considered to be instrumental in engineering a split in the Shiv Sena which led to the collapse of the Sena-NCP-Congress government, would again become chief minister.

Fadnavis not looking happy, says Pawar

But on Friday evening, he announced in a press conference after meeting the governor that Shinde, the rebel Sena leader, would be the next CM, while he himself would not be part of the government. The BJP is the single largest party in the Assembly.

Even as the state reeled under the stunning news, BJP president J P Nadda said that Fadnavis had been asked to accept the post of deputy CM.

Also read: Shinde, Fadnavis seek to shift proposed Metro-3 car shed back to Aarey Colony

Speaking to reporters in Pune late in the evening, NCP chief Sharad Pawar took a jibe at Fadnavis, saying he did not seem too happy taking the junior post but was probably following orders from above.

Notably, Shinde was a minister when Fadnavis headed the BJP-Sena government in the state from 2014 to 2019.

(With inputs from agencies)