After winning trust vote in Maharashtra Assembly, the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in a carefully crafted emotional speech thanked Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stating that he was supposed to be made the CM in the MVA govt in 2019.

The CM emphasized how he was never thirsty for power and stepped back from the chance of becoming the CM during MVA govt. “But then, I changed my mind when there were objections raised, paving the way for Uddhav Thackeray. Initially, I was supposed to be made the CM in the MVA govt… But later Ajit Dada (Ajit Pawar) or someone said that I should not be made the CM. I had no problem and I told Uddhav ji to go ahead, and that I was with him, I never eyed that post,” he stated.

In an emotionally charged speech, Shinde also mentioned how he never was there when his family needed him and devoted his entire life for politics.

Remembering his two children who had died, Shinde got emotional and said, “They attacked my family…My father is alive, my mother died. I could not give much time to my parents. They would be asleep when I came and would go to work when I slept. I could not give much time to my son Shrikant. My two children died – at the time, Anand Dighe consoled me. I used to think, what is there to live for? I will stay with my family.”

Addressing about his plans, the new CM said, “The government will work towards ending farmers’ suicide in Maharashtra and soon there will be a decision in the cabinet to reduce VAT on fuel.”

Meanwhile, NCP leader Ajit Pawar has been named the Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Assembly. He succeeds BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis, who was sworn in as Deputy CM on June 30.

Speaker Rahul Narvekar announced that Pawar will take over as Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, adding NCP has emerged as the single largest opposition party in the 288-member House.

Shinde described Ajit Pawar as a mature politician and administrator.

Calling himself as true Shiv Sainik, Shinde said, “We are Shivsainiks and we will always be Shivsainiks of Balasaheb and Anand Dighe.”

Shinde won the crucial trust vote today in the Assembly in a two day special session.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, in a major blow to the ex- Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray a day before the trust vote of the Eknath Shinde-BJP government on Monday, the newly-appointed speaker of the Maharashtra Assembly on Sunday night removed Shiv Sena MLA Ajay Chaudhary as the legislative party leader.

A letter issued by the office of Speaker Rahul Narvekar reinstated Shinde as the Shiv Sena’s legislative party leader. It also stated that the Maharashtra Vidhan Bhavan administration had received a letter from his faction on June 22 objecting to Shinde’s removal as the group leader of the Shiv Sena Legislative Party by the party chief Uddhav Thackeray.