Mumbai: With decks almost cleared for a BJP Chief Minister in Maharashtra, caretaker CM Eknath Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis are set to reach New Delhi today where they will meet Home Minister Amit Shah and take a final call on the official announcement, sources said.
This comes a day after Shinde said he had spoken to PM Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, announcing that he will abide by whatever decision they take on naming his successor. Amid this, reports say that BJP National General Secretary Vinod Tawde had a detailed meeting with Shah Wednesday night wherein the leaders discussed the nitty gritty of the government formation in the western state.
Sources said both Shinde and Fadnavis are going to reach Delhi by 4 pm today and will meet Shah at 6 pm. In addition to clearing the air on who will be the next Chief Minister of Maharashtra, the Mahayuti leaders and Amit Shah will also deliberate on the distribution of Cabinet berths between BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP, the three key constituents of the Mahayuti alliance.
Amid the suspense, posters terming Devendra Fadnavis as the "permanent chief minister" were put up in front of 'Sagar', his official residence. On November 26, Shinde tendered his resignation as CM to Governor C P Radhakrishnan who requested Shinde to continue as caretaker chief minister until the new government was formed.
Swearing-in either on Saturday or Sunday
On Wednesday, Deputy CM Ajit Pawar told reporters that the new Maharashtra CM is likely to be sworn in either on November 30 or December 1. He also confirmed that there will be two deputy chief ministers in the new government. Meanwhile, Shinde, during his press conference on Wednesday, trashed reports that he was disappointed for not getting a second term as CM despite the ruling Mahayuti alliance winning a thumping victory under his leadership.
Proud of my father: Shinde's son
Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde Wednesday said he was proud of his father Eknath Shinde for setting an example of following the "alliance dharma" while setting aside personal ambition.
"I am very proud of my father and our Shiv Sena Chief Leader Mr. Shri Eknathji Shinde Saheb. His unwavering commitment to Maharashtra and its people is unparalleled. He worked tirelessly day and night. Earned their love, trust and appreciation by serving selflessly to every section of the society," he said.
मला माझे बाबा आणि आमचे शिवसेना मुख्यनेते मा.ना.श्री.एकनाथजी शिंदे साहेब यांचा खूप अभिमान वाटतो. त्यांची महाराष्ट्र आणि येथील जनतेशी असलेली अतूट बांधिलकी अतुलनीय आहे. त्यांनी अहोरात्र अथक परिश्रम केले. समाजातील प्रत्येक घटकाची निस्वार्थ सेवा करून त्यांचे प्रेम, विश्वास आणि प्रशंसा…
— Dr Shrikant Lata Eknath Shinde (@DrSEShinde) November 27, 2024
The parliamentarian said his father opened the doors of Varsha to common people and created a new history in public service. "Even at the peak of his career, his humility and sense of duty is evident," he said.
Landslide win
The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance scripted a powerful comeback in state assembly elections by winning 230 seats in the 288-member House. Recovering from its Lok Sabha elections losses, the BJP bagged 132 constituencies, the highest among all constituents of the Mahayuti. Shinde's Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar's NCP also performed well. Sena won 57 while NCP won 41 seats.
Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) suffered a setback. The grand old party registered one of its worst performances in the state assembly polls after it won only 16 seats. Sharad Pawar's NCP(SP) won just 10 seats, whereas Uddhav Thackeray's (UBT) won 20 seats. The Maharashtra assembly elections were held on November 20, and the results were declared on November 23.
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