Thackeray refutes Fadnavis’ claim on CM’s post, says BJP trying to portray him as a liar

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said he was hurt by the BJP making him out to be a liar, and said the deal over Maharashtra CM's post was made in Amit Shah's presence.

File photo of Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray with his son and Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray (right) | Photo: PTI

Mumbai: Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray Friday slammed ally BJP for trying “to prove him a liar”, claiming that it had agreed to share the chief minister’s post in Maharashtra during his talks with Amit Shah.

He would fulfill the promise made to his father, late Sena founder Bal Thackeray, to install a Shiv Sena chief minister in the state, and does not need Devendra Fadnavis or Shah for this, Uddhav Thackeray said.

Thackeray addressed the media soon after Chief Minister Fadnavis handed over his resignation to Maharashtra Governor, and was asked to continue as caretaker CM.

Reacting strongly to Fadnavis’s claim that there had been no agreement on sharing the chief minister’s post for two-and-half years, Thackeray again and again said that he was hurt that the BJP tried to portray him as a liar.

He did not hold talks with the BJP after the Assembly poll results came in on 24 October as he could not tolerate being called a liar, he said.

The Sena chief also denied Fadnavis’s claim that Sena leaders targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He did not attack Modi but criticised the NDA government from time to time over policies, Thackeray said.

There has been no headway in government formation in the state even a fortnight after Assembly poll results were announced on 24 October.

The BJP and Shiv Sena are locked in a tussle over the chief minister’s post, resulting in a stalemate despite the poll results giving the saffron alliance a combined seat strength of 161, way past the 145 majority mark in the 288- member House.