Health Minister Tanaji Sawant claimed that the process to effect a change of government in Maharashtra started on the instructions of Devendra Fadnavis.
The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress government in Maharashtra collapsed in June 2022 with the rebellion of Sena leader Eknath Shinde, who then formed the new government with the BJP's Fadnavis as deputy chief minister.
We (Shiv Sena leaders of the Shinde camp) and Devendra ji had meetings. I and current chief minister Eknath Shinde held 100 to 150 meetings in the period of two years (for bringing down the Thackeray government), Sawant said.
On Devendra Fadnavis's orders, Shiv Sena and BJP came together in Osmanabad Zilla Parishad. It started from there, Sawant said.
Reacting to Sawant's statement, Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Council Ambadas Danve said it made clear that the seeds of betrayal were already there in the minds of the MLAs of the Shinde group.
The reasons given for the rebellion such as Thackeray not meeting party MLAs regularly or Sena ministers and MLAs not getting funds were hollow excuses, said Danve, a Thackeray loyalist.