Devendra Fadnavis offered me Guv’s post, reveals Eknath Khadse

Mumbai, Sep 13 (IANS) NCP legislator and former BJP minister Eknath Khadse on Friday revealed that the state Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had offered him the post of Governor, but nothing happened on that front thereafter. 

Khadse, who had left BJP in October 2020 and joined NCP, three days ago said that he would continue to remain in the Sharad Pawar-led party despite his meeting with BJP President J.P. Nandda before the Lok Sabha elections there has been no formal invite for him to join the party.

“Devendra Fadnavis told me that he will recommend my name for the post of Governor. I told him to tell the truth as quite often he had said that he would do this and that but nothing had happened. However, he told me this is the word of Devendra Fadnavis under the oath of my daughter,” claimed Khadse.

He added that Fadnavis had made this promise in 2019.

On his ghar wapsi move, Khadse said he had no plans to rejoin the BJP. However, he added that he decided to go back to the BJP after senior party leaders in Delhi called him.  

“When I was in Delhi, I decided to rejoin the BJP in the presence of J.P. Nadda and Vinod Tawde. Raksha Khadse was also present on this occasion. At that time, he put the BJP's muffler around my neck. Even after 5 to 6 months of this meeting, the BJP has not announced my entry. I am still waiting but there is no announcement yet,” he said. 

Khadse said that after his meeting with Nadda and Tawde, he discussed his move with NCP SP chief Sharad Pawar and state unit president Jayant Patil and submitted his resignation. However, he noted that his resignation was not accepted, instead, Pawar asked him to join BJP which he will not oppose. 

“I worked with BJP for 40 years. BJP reached all over Maharashtra. Even after all this, it is very humiliating for me to make a request for entry into the BJP,” he said. 

Khadse on September 10 had accused a few state BJP leaders of blocking his entry into BJP.  

“Some BJP people started saying that we will not support Khadse’s entry. Those who are speaking against me were working under my leadership when I built the BJP over 40 years in the state. I have given strength to all of them in the state politics. But today they are protesting for some reason. No problem, I was also not very keen to join any BJP. There may be opposition from Girish Mahajan or Devendra Fadnavis in this regard. Girish Mahajan has repeatedly commented on this. I am confused whether the leaders of the state are big or JP Nadda is big? ”he asked.

--IANS

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