Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis, has alleged that the imposition of President’s Rule in the state after the 2019 assembly elections was orchestrated by Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar. In an interview with a Marathi daily, Devendra Fadnavis revealed details of behind-the-scenes negotiations between political parties following the fractured mandate of the elections.
According to Devendra Fadnavis, after the BJP failed to secure enough seats to form a government, the Governor invited Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena to stake its claim. However, the Shiv Sena, then in alliance with the BJP, also lacked the required numbers. Amid this deadlock, Devendra Fadnavis claims two senior NCP leaders approached him with a proposal for the BJP and NCP to form a coalition government.
A high-level meeting was subsequently held, attended by Devendra Fadnavis, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar, and Praful Patel. During the meeting, it was agreed that the BJP and NCP would join forces to form the state government. “It was clear that the government had to be formed before November 10, 2019, to avoid the imposition of President’s Rule,” Devendra Fadnavis said.
However, Devendra Fadnavis alleges that Sharad Pawar suggested an alternative strategy. According to him, Pawar proposed allowing President’s Rule to be imposed temporarily, during which time he would conduct a statewide tour to explain to voters why the NCP, which had contested against the BJP, was now aligning with them. This was intended to justify the move as a means of providing stability to the state.
Devendra Fadnavis further claimed that when the Governor invited the NCP to form the government, the party unexpectedly backed out. “Sharad Pawar’s letter to the Governor, typed in my office, played a pivotal role in the imposition of President’s Rule. Pawar even suggested changes to the letter before finalizing it. His claim that he was trying to avoid President’s Rule is false; it was his letter that led to it,” Devendra Fadnavis stated.
The imposition of President’s Rule in Maharashtra in November 2019 created a significant political stalemate, ultimately culminating in the Shiv Sena breaking its alliance with the BJP and forming a coalition government with the NCP and Congress under the Maha Vikas Aghadi banner. Devendra Fadnavis’s recent remarks have reignited debates about the political maneuvers that shaped the state’s governance during that period.
