Maha deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis claims he asked MLA Kadu to join Shinde faction

The Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said he had asked Independent MLA Bacchu Kadu to support the June rebellion of Eknath Shinde.

According to a report of PTI, Shinde's rebellion led to the collapse of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government on June 29. Shinde was sworn in as chief minister the next day with Bharatiya Janata Party's Fadnavis as his deputy.

Incidentally, the BJP's top brass, including Fadnavis and then state unit chief Chandrakant Patil, have, so far, been maintaining the rebellion was caused by internal strife in the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena and that it had done nothing to precipitate matters.

Responding to a question related to the war of words between Kadu and Independent MLA Ravi Rana over bribery allegations, Fadnavis said, Independent MLA Bacchu Kadu had gone to Guwahati with Eknath Shinde on my phone call. I called him and told him we need your support and participation in the formation of the new government.