Mumbai, March 25 : In a major revelation, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis shared the inside story of the dramatic fallout between Shiv Sena and BJP in 2014. Speaking at the felicitation ceremony of Sikkim Governor Om Prakash Mathur, Fadnavis, for the first time opened up about the negotiations and the factors that led to the breakdown of the alliance.

Fadnavis stated: "We were ready to give Shiv Sena 147 seats, and it was decided that the Chief Minister would be from our side, while the Deputy Chief Minister would be from Shiv Sena."

He further claimed that while the initial discussions indicated a mutual understanding, Shiv Sena's refusal to compromise on seat allocation led to the eventual rupture of the alliance.

"But Uddhav Thackeray was adamant on 151 seats, and that is when the alliance broke down," Fadnavis explained.

According to him, the BJP had proposed a seat-sharing formula where Shiv Sena would fight on 147 seats, and BJP would contest on 127.

However, Uddhav Thackeray stood firm on demanding 151 seats, leading to an irreconcilable difference between the two parties.

Fadnavis continued: "We were in talks with Shiv Sena's leadership, and we were even ready to give them more space. But Uddhav had fixed the number 151 in his mind." He further elaborated on the critical intervention by Om Prakash Mathur, who communicated with BJP leader Amit Shah, who then escalated the matter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"HM Amit Shah spoke to the Prime Minister, and it was decided that if the formula was 127 for BJP and 147 for Shiv Sena, only then would the alliance continue. Otherwise, the alliance would not work," Fadnavis said.

The Chief Minister then revealed the crucial moment that led to the final breakdown, saying: "I had faith in Amit Shah and Om Prakash Mathur. We were confident that we could win, but the rest of the party was not as optimistic."

Ultimately, Fadnavis, supported by Mathur and Amit Shah, delivered an ultimatum to Shiv Sena, offering to contest with Shiv Sena on the proposed formula of 147 for Shiv Sena and 127 for BJP.

"We told them, if you're ready to fight on 147 seats, we will stand with you, and we will contest 127 seats. Both parties would get excellent results, and both would win over 200 seats," Fadnavis recalled.

However, Uddhav Thackeray rejected the proposal, firmly standing by the 151 seats. This stubbornness, according to Fadnavis, resulted in the collapse of the alliance. Fadnavis reflected: "But it seems the law of destiny had other plans ' I was meant to become the Chief Minister."

Fadnavis also shared insights into the election strategy. Despite the setback in seat-sharing talks, he emphasized how the BJP, under the leadership of Narendra Modi, fought the election in a record number of constituencies.

"We had fought elections on over 260 seats, which was unprecedented. Before this, we had never contested more than 117 seats," he added.

This bold decision to fight on 260 seats, according to Fadnavis, laid the foundation for BJP's success in Maharashtra.

"Since then, the BJP has remained the largest party in Maharashtra and the only party in the last 30 years to surpass the 100-seat mark. This success is attributed to Prime Minister Modi, Amit Shah, and Om Prakash Mathur," Fadnavis concluded.

This revelation sheds new light on the dramatic political events that led to the end of the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance and reshaped the political landscape of Maharashtra.

/IANS