In a revelation that puts Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in the dock, former chief minister Ashok Chavan has said that the Shiv Sena, including Shinde, wanted to topple the Devendra Fadnavis government, which it was part of between 2014 and 2019, by joining hands with the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party.

The Congress leader told local reporters in Nanded on Wednesday, “The Sena didn’t want to be with the BJP when it was in the Devendra Fadnavis government. A delegation of Sena leaders that included Shinde, had come to me with a proposal that the three of us (parties) form a government. The delegation met me at my Mumbai office.” According to Chavan, he had suggested the Sena discuss the proposal with NCP supremo Sharad Pawar. “I don’t know whether they met Pawar or not,” he added.