Am Deputy CM As Leadership Didn't Want 'Extra Constitutional Authority': Devendra Fadnavis

Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said that the BJP leadership made him change his decision to remain outside the Eknath Shinde-BJP government in Maharashtra as they didn't want an "extra constitutional authority", similar to the role played by Sonia Gandhi was during the Manmohan Singh regime. Fadnavis said he was not "mentally ready" to be in the Shinde government but, as a disciplined party worker, he had to obey the party's instructions.

"Our party was against Sonia Gandhi who was an extra constitutional authority during the Manmohan Singh government. Their view was that the party used to criticise her for that. When I announced that I was going to be outside the government, my party leadership was not keen as they didn't want an extra constitutional authority to be running a government," Fadnavis said in Nagpur.

He said he was asked by both BJP chief JP Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah to be part of the government. "I spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji and following the conversation, I decided to obey their instructions," he said.


While addressing party workers, he said the party had given him everything, including the CM's post in 2014. "Party orders are the only thing that is important. If it were not for the BJP and PM Narendra Modi, I would not have become the chief minister (in 2014)."