Mumbai: Who is going to be the new Chief Minister of Maharashtra? Devendra Fadnavis or Eknath Shinde. Speculation is rife whether the CM post will be shared between the BJP and Shiv Sena, the two main constituents of the Mahayuti alliance, which swept the Assembly polls 2024.
Amidst this, Deputy CM Fadnavis on Monday evening left for Delhi for a ‘private’ function where he is likely to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the government formation in the state. Sources said that the Deputy CM is expected to hold a meeting with the party’s central leaders over the government formation. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar are also likely to leave for Delhi to participate in the meeting with the Home Minister.
Sources said that the trio is expected to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah tonight to discuss the formalities to be completed for the government formation and the Chief Minister’s post, besides, the Cabinet formula among BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP will also be taken up for discussion during their meeting.
On the other hand, Deputy Chief Minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar put an end to these rumours, saying that there has been no discussion or formula drawn as yet regarding the post of Chief Minister.
Deputy CM Ajit Pawar said that he has been selected as the floor leader of NCP in the new Assembly and Eknath Shinde the floor leader of Shiv Sena. After the floor of BJP is elected, all the three of us will sit together and discuss about the post of Chief Minister, he said. "We are in no rush to take the oath now, as our majority has been proven," he said.
Ajit Pawar has also said that the swearing-in ceremony will be taken up as early as possible.
However, Union Minister and Republican Party of India-Athawale (RPI-A) chief Ramdas Athawale on Monday claimed that Deputy CM Fadnavis is poised to become the next Chief Minister of the state with support from Ajit Pawar. After meeting Fadnavis at his residence, Athawale said the decision on the Chief Minister's post would be finalised within the next two to three days.
Meanwhile, the NCP Ajit group leaders came forward with the demand that a formula should be drawn to share the post of Chief Minister for 2-2-1 years instead of two and a half years. But senior BJP leader, MLA Sudhir Mungantiwar has rejected this formula. He has said that such a formula is not possible in any method. The senior leaders of the three parties and the senior leaders of the BJP in Delhi will come together and take a decision regarding the post of Chief Minister, he said, adding that there is no dispute about this. (with agency inputs)
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