BJP rank and file in a tizzy, see deputy CM post as Fadnavis demotion | India News – Times of India

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MUMBAI: The BJP central leadership’s move to ask Devendra Fadnavis to join the Eknath Shinde cabinet as deputy CM has sent the party rank and file into a tizzy. Many see this as Fadnavis’ demotion close on the heels of ‘Operation Lotus’ which he executed deftly to bring down the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government early this week.
As it became clear on Thursday afternoon that Shinde, who helmed an unprecedented coup in the Sena, would be the next CM, Fadnavis chose to remain out of the state cabinet. The BJP national president J P Nadda dropped a bombsell with his tweet that Fadnavis should become a part of the government. This was followed by Union home minister Amit Shah‘s tweet, which said that Fadnavis had shown “large-heartedness” by agreeing to be part of the government “for the benefit of the state government and the public.” Half an hour later, both Shinde and Fadnavis were sworn in at Raj Bhavan, the latter looking a tad downcast. “His eyes were moist when he returned home,” said a close colleague who did not wish to be named.
“While we were finding it hard to come to terms with the fact that Devendraji would not head the new government, we were taken aback by Naddaji’s and Amitji’s tweet,” said a party functionary from south-central Mumbai on Friday. “While no one questions the high command’s prerogative to issue instructions to seniors while a new political formation is being stitched up, they could have simply put a call to him,” he added. Nadda had said he had made a “personal request” to Fadnavis.
Many think the move might be a message to the new entrants in the party – and their number is swelling – to adhere to the party’s discipline.
Yet there were murmurs in the party that Fadnavis, the state BJP’s poster-boy, has been treated rather unfairly and deserved better.





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