Mumbai, Jun 21 (IANS): A Maharashtra Shiv Sena Minister has claimed that if the rebellion by the 40 MLAs and other independents in June 2022 which toppled the then ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government headed by former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, had failed, then their leader Eknath Shinde could have committed suicide.

Making the sensational claim, School Education Minister Deepak V. Kesarkar contended that he was very close to Shinde and they would regularly exchangeAnotes so he was privy to the information.

"Shinde had taken the step of the 'uprising' along with us. However, he was very clear and said that in case it failed, then he would send us all back (to the party), call up Thackeray and say 'sorry', absolve us (the 40 MLAs) of any blame and take the full responsibility for it, and then shoot himself in the head," Kesarkar averred.

Shinde also reportedly told Kesarkar that he would ensure that no rebel MLAs' political prospects were ruined while he would care even if he lost his life in the entire drama then.

Later, the rebellion proved to be a success, with Shinde becoming the Chief Minister and who will also complete a year in office on June 30, so everything ended well, the state Minister told the media on Tuesday to mark the first anniversary of the walk-out that was marked as 'Gaddar Day' (Traitors Day) by the MVA allies Nationalist Congress Party-Shiv Sena (UBT).

"He is a true Shiv Sainik. Are you calling him a 'gaddar'? Now, if we don't support him, then who else can we support?" questioned Kesarkar, while highlighting anecdotes of the unprecedented bloodless political coup that changed the course of Maharashtra politics after June 20, 2022 when the revolt started.

Kesarkar also revealed how Shinde was allegedly slighted and insulted on various occasions by Thackeray, and claimed that whenever promises were broken by the latter, he (Kesarkar) would go and share it with Shinde.