FOR CM, IT WILL BE TOUCH & GO

DESPERATE FADNAVIS BID TO REACH OUT TO UDDHAV; EVEN READY TO APOLOGISE BUT NOT INCLINED TO RELINQUISH CM’S POST

With the Shiv Sena refusing to dilute its wish list, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has gone on the back foot. Yet, despite very little room to manoeuvre, he is not inclined to take the eyes off the ball (read chief ministership).

Bending backwards, he has decided to reach out to Uddhav Thackeray, meet him personally and even apologise for backtracking on the 50:50 promise made to the Sena before the general elections.

But despite his resolve, desperate attempts made to reach out to Uddhav have drawn a blank, said sources. His request for a meeting has been rejected thrice until now, said sources.

‘‘We are willing to talk to them but they have not responded to any of our messages for the past few days. We are even willing to come to Matoshree (Thacke-ray's residence) and meet Uddhav to find a solution. I appeal to the Shiv Sena to think of the long term implications of going with the NCP or the Congress party. Balasaheb would be really unhappy with that. We are willing to consider any suggestion, except sharing the Chief Minister's post," Fadnavis's close aide and troubleshooter Girish Mahajan told a TV channel.

Sensing that the BJP has lost the battle of public perception, Fadnavis decided to resort to bravado.

A desperate message was put out that party doors are "open 24 hours" to discuss any formula with ally Shiv Sena. But the party also underscored that it would form a govern-ment only under Fadnavis. This, on a day Sena leader Sanjay Raut said the Chief Minister would be from his party. Maharashtra Finance Minister and senior BJP leader Sudhir Mun-gantiwar, too kept up the pretence and hinted at a possible breakthrough, saying "good news" was expected any moment.

Raut, who has been most vocal in this power tussle, is confident that his party will win the eyeball-to-eyeball contest.

"The Chief Minister will be from the Shiv Sena only. The face and politics of Maharashtra is changing, you will see. What you call hungama (commotion) is not hungama but the fight for justice and rights...victory will be ours," Raut told news agency ANI.

More than anything, the rejection of the proposal for rotation of the CM post has hurt Uddhav. ‘‘How can the BJP not keep the promise on the CM’s post which Amit Shah and Fadnavis gave to us at Matoshree and that too in front of the chair where Balasaheb Thackeray would sit," Uddhav pointed out.

However, BJP leaders feel the issue has not only become political but is also being given emotional overtones by connecting it to Balasaheb's chair. Nonetheless, sources said, Fadnavis is ready to apologise for his public statement on the CM post.

When the CM failed to secure an appointment with Uddhav, he requested members of his core committee during a meeting on Tuesday evening to do the needful. But the bottom line is unchanged: Fadnavis is not ready to relinquish the CM’s post.

The BJP core committee, which met on Tuesday at CM's official residence "Varsha," discussed the imponderables for two hours. All options were discussed at the meeting. The BJP’s gut feeling is that the Congress will not support the Sena to form the government, as it may adversely affect its prospects in poll-bound Jharkhand.

Fadnavis also asked state President Chandrakant Patil to drive home the message through media that the government will be formed only under his leadership.