Rashmi Thackeray Wanted Aaditya To Be Maharashtra CM But Sharad Pawar Overruled It

Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray’s wife Rashmi’s insistence to install Aaditya as the chief minister of Maharashtra in 2019 was overruled by veteran leader Sharad Pawar, who had refused to offer the same post to Ajit Pawar in 2004 since he wanted to promote Supriya Sule’s image as a future chief minister. Once Aaditya’s name was rejected, then unified Sena leaders Sanjay Raut and Anil Desai had pleaded with Pawar to appoint Uddhav as CM. This chain of events has been described by NCP (Ajit) chief spokesman Umesh Patil. He was trying to refute various claims being made by leaders of different parties involved over the past few days. Patil said the unified NCP had more MLAs than the Congress in 2004 and Ajit Pawar, as NCP legislative party leader, was the logical choice as CM. But Sharad Pawar put his foot down because he wanted to ensure that no competitor to his daughter Supriya should emerge. Patil also dismissed Raut’s claim that Eknath Shinde’s chief ministership was opposed by senior leaders Ajit Pawar and Sunil Tatkare. Even in 2019, it had been decided by the NCP to team up with the BJP. However, Sharad Pawar reversed his stand at the eleventh hour, Patil has said. He claimed that the then Sena had decided to elevate Shinde as CM but Rashmi’s intervention led to Uddhav’s appointment.