Shinde took oath as Chief Minister on Thursday after leading the revolt in Shiv Sena that brought down the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA coalition government.
Also Read: The rise of Eknath Shinde: From auto driver to Maharashtra CM
“People thought that the BJP was desperate for power. But truly, this is a masterstroke by Devendra ji. To hand over power to another person despite having larger numbers (of MLAs) requires a big heart."
“With his decision, people of the state and the country got to see a new example of this large heartedness," Shinde said after he and Fadnavis were sworn in as CM and Deputy CM respectively at Raj Bhavan Thursday evening.
“The party with the most numbers has the claim to the chief minister’s post. But in this case, I would like to thank PM Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, J P Nadda and specially Devendra Fadnavis, who showed a big heart and gave this chance to a Shiv Sainik," Shinde told a TV channel.
Shinde said the previous stint of Fadnavis as chief minister will come in handy as he leads the state.
“Fadnavis joined this ministry due to the directives of his (party) seniors. I am happy for this because his experience will come in handy in speeding up developmental works in the state," Shinde said.
Meanwhile, the new Maharashtra govt led by Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis has directed the state's Advocate General that the metro car shed will be built in Aarey itself, news agency ANI has reported citing sources.
The side of the Maharashtra government regarding the metro car shed issue in Aarey forest should be presented before the Court, sources said.
(With inputs from PTI)
