Mumbai: With the BJP becoming the single-largest party after the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly polls, the clamour has grown for Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to become the Chief Minister.
The BJP won a staggering 132 seats in the 288-member House. The Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Interim Chief Minister Eknath Shinde bagged 57 seats while the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) won 41 seats as the Mahayuti (grand alliance) retained power in the key state.
In these circumstances, it is understood that a group of Shiv Sena MPs will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. However, the reason why the MPs would meet the Prime Minister is unclear. They will be accompanied by seven Shiv Sena MLAs and four former MPs.
Sources said that the Shiv Sena MPs and leaders would urge the PM that Eknath Shide should be once again made the Maharashtra Chief Minister.
Shiv Sena spokesperson Jyoti Waghmare told ETV Bharat, "It is the people's wish that Eknath Shinde should become the Chief Minister. Our MPs will inform the PM about the people's wishes. They will also speak to him about the problems of their respective constituencies."
Waghmare said that so far the PM has not given his time but our MPs will seek the PM's time and meet him.
It is understood that the swearing-in ceremony of the new Maharashtra government will be held on either December 1 or 2.
On Tuesday, Eknath Shinde submitted his resignation to Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan and the Governor asked him to continue as Interim Chief Minister. A group of women sought the blessings of Lord Ganesh at the famed Siddhivinayak temple in Mumbai for Shinde to again become the Chief Minister.
Earlier in the day, it is understood that the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has backed Devendra Fadnavis, who was the Chief Minister for two times earlier, to be the Chief Minister once again.
However, Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske pressed that the BJP should follow the Bihar pattern in Maharashtra and make Eknath Shinde the Chief Minister. It may be recalled that in Bihar, JD (U) leader Nitish Kumar was made the Chief Minister despite his party winning fewer seats than the BJP.
