It was Sharad Pawar who first sent two senior party leaders to us to form a government with the NCP after the Assembly elections in Maharashtra led to a stalemate in government formation in 2019, senior BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told The Economic Times on Friday.
"While we were trying to get in touch with Uddhav Thackeray to form the government, it was Sharad Pawar who first sent two senior party leaders to us to form a government with them. I was surprised at the offer. However, we were told that the offer has come from Sharad Pawar himself," Fadnavis told ET in an interiew.
According to Fadnavis, it was Pawar who decided to go with President's rule first since the elections had just concluded. Fadnavis said that both parties had even met and decided on cabinet posts and guardian ministers.
"After President’s rule, Sharad Pawar was to tour the state. He was to later claim that people want a stable government. Hence, he would support our BJP government," Fadnavis was quoted as saying by ET.
The BJP leader further said that the NCP's letter claiming inability to form the government -- required for the imposition of President's rule in the state -- was also drafted by the BJP and sent to the Governor after Pawar's consent.
"We decided to go with Pawar because Uddhav was not picking up our calls and we needed to stay relevant," Fadnavis said.
The BJP leader's remarks come amid a raging controversy over NCP president Ajit Pawar's interview to The News Minute and Newslaundry wherein he claimed that top leaders of the BJP and then undivided NCP had met at the residence of industrialist Gautam Adani and discussed government formation.
Ajit Pawar further suggested that the decision to ally with the BJP and form a government that eventually led to his dramatic swearing-in ceremony in 2019 also had Pawar Senior's go-ahead.
Sharad Pawar, in an interview to the same portal, admitted to meeting Amit Shah in a meeting hosted by Adani at his residence, but said he was hesitant to go with the BJP's offer. His party colleagues, Pawar claimed in the interview, had told him that the BJP had promised them that cases against NCP leaders would "go away" if the NCP formed a government with them.
Pawar told the portal that he wasn't convinced the BJP would keep its word and was hesitant to agree to the alliance. It was then that his colleagues suggested that he "hear it from the horse's mouth", which is how he landed at Adani's residence and met Amit Shah.
Elections in Maharashtra are scheduled to be held on November 20 and the results will be declared on November 23.
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