Rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde was sworn in as the new Maharashtra chief minister and high-profile BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis took over as his deputy as the saffron party sought to spring a stunning “sacrifice” that betrayed a wider strategy to cripple the Thackerays and usurp the Sena’s political space.

Fadnavis, a former chief minister who is believed to have engineered the Eknath-led rebellion from behind the scenes, took oath as deputy chief minister but after some backroom drama and a “directive” from the BJP central leadership.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was credited by BJP leaders with the dramatic twist of “sacrificing” the top post for an “ordinary Shiv Sainik” in place of the dynast Uddhav Thackeray. Some BJP readers referred to it as a game of “stooping to conquer”.

Eknath, a Sena MLA and minister who led the rebel MLAs on a long journey with stopovers in Gujarat, Assam and Goa, took oath as chief minister at a hurriedly convened ceremony at the Raj Bhavan.

BJP president J.P. Nadda stepped in after Fadnavis told a media conference that he would remain outside the Eknath-led government and extend “full outside support”. In a video message, Nadda said he had directed Fadnavis to join the government as deputy chief minister.

Devendra Fadnavis. PTI picture

“On being asked by BJP chief J.P. Nadda, Devendra Fadnavis has shown a big heart and decided to join the government in the interest of the people of Maharashtra,” Union home minister Amit Shah tweeted. Some interpreted this as an indication that Fadnavis was unhappy at the leadership’s decision to give the chief minister’s post to Eknath.

Replying to Shah’s tweet, Fadnavis said that as a “committed worker”, he would abide by the “party directive”. This was seen as a tacit admission that he was joining the government because of the leadership’s “directive”.

It was Fadnavis who had announced that Eknath would take over as chief minister while stressing that he would not join the government.

“There will be only one oath today. Eknath Shinde will take oath as chief minister,” Fadnavis told reporters after meeting governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari, along with Eknath, in the afternoon. He said that Eknath had staked claim to form the government and the BJP had decided to extend support.

BJP leaders close to Fadnavis were heard saying on television that they had been stunned by the announcement that Eknath would be chief minister.

Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari presents a bouquet to newly elected Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde at Raj Bhavan in Mumbai on Thursday. PTI picture

“We were sure Fadnavis would become CM. But if PM Modi and the rest of the leadership have taken a different decision, they must have done so in the larger interest and we accept it,” said Maharashtra BJP leader Kripa Shankar Singh.

Eknath has claimed the support of 50 MLAs, including the rebels and others. The BJP has 106 MLAs in the 288-member Assembly. All the rebel MLAs supporting Eknath were lodged in a Goa hotel when he took oath as chief minister on Thursday.

BJP managers said the leadership’s decision to “sacrifice” the chief minister’s post and give it to Eknath had been taken with an eye not only on multiple political benefits but also on a chance to punish the Thackeray dynasty for betraying the BJP by walking away with the Congress-NCP.

Eknath Shinde takes oath as chief minister of Maharashtra on Thursday. PTI picture

At the media address, both Fadnavis and Eknath stressed their commitment to the Hindutva ideology of Shiv Sena patriarch Bal Thackeray (Uddhav’s father). They accused Uddhav of compromising his father’s Hindutva by aligning with his rivals.

Fadnavis referred to Bal Thackeray as “Hindu hriday samrat” while Eknath said he was fulfilling the Sena patriarch’s dream.

BJP managers said that by rewarding Eknath, they were trying to show that the “real Shiv Sena” and the legacy of Bal Thackeray were with them. The entire thrust was on portraying Uddhav as a villain who had betrayed Hindutva.

The BJP hopes that Eknath’s elevation will help it wean Sena cadres and supporters away from the Thackeray family.

This was evident as the BJP, which had denied the chief minister’s post to the Sena after the 2019 polls, gave it to rebel Eknath, projecting itself as “large-hearted”. The BJP’s refusal to cede the chief minister’s post had led the Sena to align with the Congress and the NCP.

The tussle to gain control of the Sena is now expected to unfold before the Election Commission and the courts and on the streets.

It had been the BJP’s dream to secure a majority on its own in Maharashtra, without being dependent on the Sena. In the 2014 Assembly polls, the party had gone it alone but fallen short of majority despite a Modi wave. This had led the BJP to the realisation that it would not be able to fulfil its dream as long as the Sena remained a force.

Apart from this wider strategy, the “sacrifice” will help sharpen Modi’s campaign against dynastic parties and allow the BJP to woo the OBC voters in Maharashtra, sources said, underlining that Eknath hails from an OBC community. Fadnavis is a Brahmin.

“Modiji rose from humble roots to become the PM. Similarly, Eknath Shinde was an auto driver who has become the chief minister with Modiji’s blessing,” a BJP leader said.