The new Chief Minister of Maharashtra, sworn-in on Thursday, said today that he had learnt several things from the now Leader of opposition Devendra Fadnavis and he would “always be friends with him”.

While addressing the state assembly after the new Speaker Congress’s Nana Patole was elected unopposed and sworned-in as the BJP withdrew its candidate, Thackeray said, “I am still with the ideology of ‘Hindutva’ and won’t ever leave it. In the past five years, I’ve never betrayed the government.”

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CM Thackeray said that “I am a lucky CM because those who opposed me are now with me and those who I was with are now on the opposite side. I am here with my luck and blessings of people. I have never told anyone that I will be coming here but I came, “news agency ANI quoted Thackeray as saying.

Thackeray in his address even took a dig at the former CM Fadnavis. He said, “I won’t call you (Devendra Fadnavis) the Opposition leader but a responsible leader. If you would have been good to us then, all this (BJP-Shiv Sena split) would have not happened.”

The one month long political drama which took place in Maharashtra soon after the announcement of the Assembly poll results, popped up many twists and turns in the course of the journey, which saw long term allies BJP and Shiv Sena parting ways on the question of equal partnership in the government and 2.5 years each rotational Chief Ministership for each party. The Sena formed alliance with NCP and Congress and was finalizing the modalities of the new government, which suddenly saw a midnight coup by Devendra Fadnavis becoming CM with the help of Ajit Pawar from NCP, helping him and becoming his deputy with the promise of 54 NCP MLAs. But with Supreme Court asking for a an open ballot floor test test within 24 hours to prove the majority, Fadnavis and his deputy Ajit Pawar resigned within 80 hours.

Thackeray became the new chief minister of the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance of the ideologically different parties- the Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP. Thackeray’s move has been criticized by many for diluting the party’s Hindutva ideology.