Ajit Pawar said Aghadi could not reach pact: Devendra Fadnavis

MUMBAI: NCP leader Ajit Pawar approached him to form a government in Maharashtra as Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP were ‘unable to come to an agreement’, outgoing CM Devendra Fadnavis said at a news conference in Mumbai on Tuesday. Announcing his resignation, Fadnavis said that he decided to quit when Ajit Pawar informed him on Tuesday morning that he no longer could support his government.

“We had said that we will not break any party and hence since Ajit also has resigned. I have also decided to resign,” Fadnavis said. Wishing the new alliance all the best, Fadnavis said “I am afraid that they might fall under the weight of their own contradictions. This government will be like a threewheeled rickshaw where each tyre goes in a different direction.”

Fadnavis said Sena had placed Hindutva at Sonia Gandhi’s feet. “I was surprised to see yesterday that the Sena leaders were taking oath in the name of Congress president Sonia Gandhi. I have not seen such kind of helplessness of the Sena.” In response to a question on why he decided to join hands with Ajit Pawar after him calling ‘corrupt’ during polls, Fadnavis said: “We tried to form a government with Shiv Sena. Maharashtra needed a government and hence we decided to form a government with NCP. Ajit Pawar got in touch with us, he said a Congress-NCP-Sena government was not happening and he decided to support us and hence we decided to speak to him. He was the legislative party leader of the NCP. If there was someone else who offered us support, then we would have spoken to him too.”


Fadnavis denied support to the BJP-led government had anything to do with the irrigation cases filed against him. “The irrigation court cases are court monitored.” When asked about reasons why Ajit resigned Fadnavis said he had cited ‘personal reasons’. When asked whether this was a NCP game, he said: “You have to ask him.”