Uddhav wanted to make Eknath Shinde CM in 2019? How credible is Sanjay Raut’s claim?

According to Sanjay Raut, Uddhav Thackeray had Shinde's name in mind for the coveted chair.

The past never dies in Indian politics. The present political discourse in Maharashtra is not devoid of this fact. A recent example is the revelation by Sanjay Raut, the Shiv Sena (UBT) MP, that Eknath Shinde, the DCM, was slated to become the CM, but due to the BJP's betrayal, the MVA was formed, and Uddhav Thackeray became the CM. Raut's statement has sparked a discussion within political circles about whether there is any substance in his words or if it is yet another verbal attempt to embarrass Shinde Sena.

Speaking to journalists, Raut recently said that had the BJP kept its promise of sharing the CM's chair for half the tenure, Eknath Shinde would have become CM in 2019 itself. According to Raut, Uddhav Thackeray had Shinde's name in mind for the coveted chair, which is evident from the fact that he was appointed Leader of the Legislative Party shortly after the election results were announced. When the BJP backtracked and the MVA was formed, the question arose—who would be the CM face of the alliance? Raut said that leaders of the undivided NCP, including Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar, refused to work under a junior leader like Eknath Shinde.

The book 35 Days: How Politics in Maharashtra Changed Forever in 2019 throws light on the issue. It narrates how Sharad Pawar took the initiative in forming the MVA and made efforts to onboard the Congress into the alliance. When Sharad Pawar met Sonia Gandhi in Delhi with a delegation of Maharashtra Congress leaders, she set a condition for Congress’s support: Uddhav Thackeray should be CM. Pawar agreed instantly and expressed acceptance of the condition on behalf of Uddhav Thackeray.

Apart from the book, various media outlets reported after Thackeray's swearing-in that his wife Rashmi and son Aditya convinced him to accept the chief ministership; Uddhav was not eager for the chair. When Shinde was appointed Leader of the Legislative Party, many assumed that Uddhav, like his father Bal Thackeray, would stay away from any governmental post and remain a kingmaker. However, considering the unpleasant example of Narayan Rane's defection—whom Bal Thackeray had made CM in 1999—it was thought prudent to install someone from the Thackeray family as CM. Aditya Thackeray was considered too junior for the job.

Sanjay Raut's revelations came after leaders of the Shiv Sena, led by Uddhav Thackeray, blamed the latter for the rebellion in Shiv Sena in June 2022. According to Shinde Sena, Uddhav had ambitions of becoming CM. Had he allowed Shinde to take the chair, the party would have remained intact.

Interestingly, Eknath Shinde was given responsibility of keeping the MLAs safe from poaching by the BJP during the political crisis of 2019. In fact, when Ajit Pawar rebelled for the first time in November 2019 and took an early morning oath along with Devendra Fadnavis, it was Eknath Shinde who aggressively made efforts to get rebel MLAs back into Sharad Pawar's camp. The Fadnavis government didn't survive beyond three days. Shinde was the most powerful minister in the Thackeray government. Although he was seen as an ambitious man, there were several other reasons for his rebellion like humiliation by Thackeray and NCP ministers becoming more powerful in the MVA government. BJP too on the other hand was continuously pursuing him.