Uddhav Thackeray resigned as Maharashtra CM on Wednesday, 29th June, 2022. On the next day 30th June 2022, Eknath Shinde took oath as Maharashtra Chief Minister and Devendra Fadnavis as his deputy.
Let’s go back to 2019, on Maharashtra assembly election. Shiv Sena contested the polls with partnering BJP and both of them got a very comfortable majority of 161 seats in 288-member assembly. Easily they could have formed the government. Unexpectedly, Uddhav Thackeray demanded that he will become Chief Minister for half of the five-year term but BJP refused. Like this the alliance broke. Shiv Sena left from the alliance with BJP and partnered congress and NCP to form government in Maharashtra. Like this Uddhav Thackeray became Chief Minister. No doubt it was a betrayal with BJP.
Shiv Sena made alliance with parties like Congress and NCP to form government. There is vast ideological difference between these three parties. These kind of alliances do not last for longer period. Many members inside Shiv Sena were unhappy with the alliance. It would have been better if Thackeray and the Shiv Sena maintained the alliance with BJP because they were natural and same ideological ally. Shinde accused Uddhav for compromising with the Hindutva ideology of Shiv Sena. Uddhav had ditched his partner and his colleagues with whom he had relationships over several decades, only to fulfil his personal ambition to occupy the post of chief minister. This is the main reason, Shinde and other rebel MLAs left the MVA alliance and formed government with BJP.
Fadnavis also has proved himself a great strategist as BJP won the Rajya Sabha and the Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) election. Now, only 16 out of 56 Shiv Sena MLAs are left with Uddhav. Presently, BJP received support of 40 Shiv Sena MLAs and 10 independent MLAs. They had received support of total 166 MLAs in the house and the magic figure is 144.
Like this, Eknath Shinde took oath as the new chief minister of Maharashtra and Devendra Fadnavis as his deputy. After this JP Nadda said that BJP do not want CM’s post, Uddhav Thackeray left the alliance only for “the greed” of CM’s post and grab power. Eknath Shinde also acknowledged that there were limitations in MVA government and he had left MVA only for the development of the state, there were no personal interest involved.
Raj Thackeray on the other hand commented correctly that, Uddhav is in the Chief Minister’s chair only for his good fortune. That was not Uddhav’s accomplishment. Uddhav’s downfall begun because he had mistaken his good fortune with his accomplishment. As we know Raj Thackeray himself put up a rebellion against the party. He left the party in 2005, for an ongoing power struggle with Uddhav Thackeray. Fadnavis and his newly formed alliance with the rebel MLA’s of Shiv Sena asked for support to Raj Thackeray. Raj Thackeray had extended his best wish to the newly formed government in Maharashtra and praised Fadnavis for accepting the Deputy Chief Minister position. Lastly, it is clear to us that Uddhav Thackeray is responsible for his own downfall. He campaigned in the election with BJP. He used PM Modi’s face in his campaigns. He contested and won seat by campaigning against NCP and Congress. But after election only to become Chief Minister he left BJP and formed alliance with NCP and Congress. This is a betrayal not only with BJP but also with the people’s mandate. This is the reason; political observers had anticipated that one day this government will collapse.
