In an exclusive interview with CNN-News18 following his swearing-in as Maharashtra’s Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis discussed his working relationship with his deputies—Eknath Shinde of the Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
Fadnavis described Shinde as “emotional” and Pawar as someone who focuses on “practical politics.” He added, “For the past two and a half years, we worked very hard with both Shinde ji and Ajit Pawar dada. It was a roller-coaster journey, but we’ve managed well together.”
Regarding the government’s formation, Fadnavis clarified that while there were discussions among the three parties involved, there was no significant delay or anger from Shinde on any issue. He explained, “Shinde ji had agreed during our Delhi meeting that as BJP has more MLAs, the CM should be from our party. There was no anger.” Fadnavis also addressed rumors that Shinde was reluctant to serve as deputy CM, stating, “I made Shinde ji understand that if a party chief is outside the government, the party can’t run properly.”
On the topic of portfolio allocations, Fadnavis emphasized that decisions would be made collectively among the three parties, stressing that “hard bargaining” is part of the process. He also mentioned that decisions about the opposition leader would depend on the Speaker’s appointment, and the ruling alliance would respect it.
Reflecting on the challenges of the past five years, Fadnavis remarked, “I never imagined becoming CM again. My only goal was to bring back the government. The last five years were full of struggles, especially after Uddhav Thackeray backstabbed us despite our mandate in 2019.” He also noted that the BJP’s allies had remained steadfast during this turbulent period.
