Shiv Sena-BJP alliance: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has revealed the inside story behind the 2014 fallout between Shiv Sena and BJP. Speaking at the felicitation ceremony of Sikkim Governor Om Prakash Mathur, Fadnavis, for the first time, opened up about the negotiations and key factors that led to the breakdown of the alliance.
What did Devendra Fadnavis say on Shiv Sena-BJP fallout?
Fadnavis shared key details about the 2014 BJP-Shiv Sena fallout, crediting Om Prakash Mathur's role in shaping the party’s strategy. Speaking at Mathur's felicitation ceremony, Fadnavis recalled that BJP was open to negotiations, offering Shiv Sena 147 seats while keeping 127, but Sena insisted on contesting 151 seats.
Speaking at the event, Fadnavis said, "In 2014, we saw that Bhaisahab (Om Prakash Mathur) came as the in-charge of Maharashtra. We had read about his policies, but I truly understood them when I worked with him. He began identifying the state's leaders within just 15 days and recognizing them didn't just mean knowing their names but he understood their capabilities and potential."
"At that time, I was the party president. He told me that we would form the government together. Meanwhile, our allies were in talks with Shiv Sena, and we were ready to accommodate them. However, they had a firm demand to contest 151 seats. We offered them 147 and proposed that we contest 127. When this issue escalated, Om Prakash Mathur spoke to Home Minister Amit Shah and conveyed that this arrangement wouldn't work. He then consulted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and it was decided that if Shiv Sena agreed to the 147-127 formula, we would proceed together—otherwise, there would be no alliance. At that time, Mathur, Shah, and I were confident that we could contest the elections on our own. The Prime Minister was with us, but the rest were not confident, wondering what kind of decision we were making," he said.
The Chief Minister further said that after consultations with Amit Shah and Prime Minister Modi, BJP decided to go ahead with elections independently if the 147-127 formula wasn't accepted.
"But Mathur reassured us, saying, 'Don't worry, the decision must be made.' We then issued an ultimatum to Shiv Sena: if they were willing to contest 147 seats, we would stand with them. Together, we could win over 200 seats, ensuring that their leader would be the Chief Minister and ours the Deputy CM. However, perhaps fate had other plans, as Shiv Sena refused to compromise. Their 'Yuvraj' (Aditya Thackeray) had already declared that they wouldn't concede even a single seat below 151. They took a 'Kaurava' stance, refusing to give even five seats. In response, we said, 'If they won’t give five villages, we have Shri Krishna with us—we will fight.' And so we did," he said.
"I remember campaigning while Mathur and Shah stood firmly together. With the credibility of our Prime Minister, we contested 260 seats for the first time—and emerged as the largest party," Fadnavis added.
How BJP-Shiv Sena formed govt in 2014?
It is pertinent to mention that in 2014, BJP and Shiv Sena contested the Maharashtra Assembly elections separately after failing to reach a seat-sharing agreement. However, as neither party secured a simple majority, they reunited post-results, forming a government with Devendra Fadnavis as Chief Minister. The BJP won 122 seats in the 2014 Maharashtra elections, and Devendra Fadnavis was elected the state's CM. Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the BJP after the polls and was part of the government.
The alliance remained in power until 2019. Following the 2019 Assembly elections, differences resurfaced, leading to the final breakup of the BJP-Sena alliance, marking a major political shift in Maharashtra.
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