New Delhi / BJP MP says Fadnavis sent ₹40,000 cr to Centre in 80-hr term as CM; he denies

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Anantkumar Hedge on Monday claimed that Devendra Fadnavis became Maharashtra chief minister for just 80 hours in order to divert Rs 40,000 crore funds back to Centre, news agency ANI reported.

Hedge, member of Parliament from Uttara Kannada constituency in Karnataka, is known for making controversial comments. He said everyone is asking why BJP formed a government in Maharashtra without the numbers, he then provided and explanation.

“A CM has access to around Rs 40,000 crore from Centre. He [Devendra Fadnavis] knew if Congress, Nationalist Congress Party [NCP] and Shiv Sena government comes to power it would misuse funds meant for development. So it was decided that there should be a drama. Fadnavis became CM and in 15 hours he moved Rs 40,000 crore back to Centre,” Hedge was quoted as saying by ANI.

Fadnavis clarified that he hadn’t taken any major policy decision as CM and allegations of transferring the funds to Centre are false, ANI reported.

In a surprise move, Fadnavis was sworn-in as Maharashtra CM on Saturday morning after support from a splinter group of NCP led by Ajit Pawar. The government lasted for only 80 hours with both Pawar and Fadnavis resigning on Tuesday a day before a Supreme Court ordered trust vote. Pawar has since returned to the NCP fold.

After Fadnavis’ resignation, the three-party alliance of Sena, NCP and Congress, known as Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA), staked claim to form a government in the state.

Sena president Uddhav Thackeray took oath as chief minister at Mumbai’s iconic Shivaji Park on Thursday. Thackeray-led MVA passed the floor test in the assembly on Saturday with the support of 169 MLAs. The halfway mark in the assembly is 288-member Maharashtra assembly is 145.

In his speech in the assembly on Sunday, Thackeray had targeted Fadnavis for forming a government without the numbers to clear a floor test. Thackeray assured the House that he “will not do anything at midnight”.

Fadnavis was elected as the leader of opposition in Maharashtra assembly on Sunday. Four-time Congress MLA Nana Patole was elected unopposed as the speaker after BJP withdrew candidate its candidate.