Shiv Sangram leader and president of Shivaji Memorial Project Committee, Vinayak Mete, today accused BJP of "cheating" him and alleged that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis did not keep his promise of making him a minister.
Mete, who was to take oath as an MLC, was not present in the House when other newly-elected Legislative Council members, took oath during the special one-day session of the Upper House today.
Mete was elected to the Council last month from the BJP quota. Shiv Sangram is an alliance partner of BJP.
"BJP has cheated us. CM Fadnavis did not keep his word, of inducting me in the ministry," he said.
Mete, who holds minister-level rank as chairman of the Shivaji Memorial Committee, said, "Before the Lok Sabha elections two years ago, senior BJP leaders, including late Gopinath Munde, Devendra Fadnavis and Vinod Tawde made efforts to make my outfit Shiv Sangram a part of the Mahayuti, the BJP-led grand alliance."
"While justice was done to other alliance partners, including Swabhimani Paksh and Rashtriya Samaj Paksh and also RPI, while allocating ministerial berths in the state and at Centre, Shiv Sangram was ignored at today's cabinet expansion," he said.
"I don't know why we were sidelined and why injustice was done to us and Maratha community, as Shiv Sangram represents Marathas," the leader said.
"I am disappointed and my workers are disappointed. They were so annoyed that they prevented me from going in for the swearing in ceremony of new Legislative Council members," Mete said.
