Mumbai, Jun 19 (IANS): The Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) rubbished the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's claim that NCP supremo Sharad Pawar wanted a new team of Supriya Sule and Aditya Thackeray as the Chief Minister and Deputy CM after the 2024 Assembly elections, here on Monday.

State BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankule revealed that Pawar and the former CM and (then) Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray had arrived at a private understanding sometime ago on the formula - attracting rejection from the Shiv Sena (UBT), Nationalist Congress Party and Congress.

"It was decided that Uddhav Thackeray would continue as the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) CM and Ajit Pawar as Dy CM for their full terms. In 2024, the plan was that Supriya Sule would become the CM and Aditya the Deputy CM. To achieve this, the Shiv Sena would deliberately contest less seats to enable the NCP to win 100 seats," claimed Bawankule.

When the Shiv Sena MLAs got wind of this alleged plan, Bawankule said that they apprehended not getting tickets for the next (2024) elections and hence revolted against Thackeray last year (June 2022).

NCP's Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar, declining any comments, merely said that Bawankule is the head of the state BJP and he has a right to say anything he wants.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP and Chief Spokesperson Sanjay Raut slammed Bawankule saying "he has no knowledge of what is happening around him...and should not be taken seriously."

"He is in a 'vanvas' (forest exile). He doesn't know Maharashtra or state politics and says anything..." said Raut.

Congress state Chief Spokesperson Atul Londhe asserted that Bawankule was talking nonsense and he should first worry about his own ticket than speak about the Opposition parties.

"It's the biggest stupidity to suggest that any party would 'lessen' its own strength for some so-called master-plan like this... Bawankule has no understanding of state politics and must safeguard his own ticket first," declared Londhe.

NCP National General Secretary Jitendra Awhad laughed off the BJP leader's comments, saying "he did even have any idea that a rebellion was building up (in the Shiv Sena) at that time."

"What goes on in Sharad Pawar Saheb's mind, nobody is aware, not even his own family... Then what is Bawankule talking about?..." demanded Awhad.

On the reasons for the MVA government collapse, Raut pointed out how Bawankule talks one thing, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis speaks another while Union Home Minister Amit Shah says something else, "so whom do you believe".

He suggested that they (BJP) should first sit together and decide what exactly to speak on these issues and avoid confusion.