Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister news: As intense discussions unfold within the Mahayuti alliance regarding the potential successor for the chief ministership in Maharashtra—whether it will be Devendra Fadnavis or Eknath Shinde—the Bharatiya Janata Party has clarified that it will not adopt the Bihar model for the chief minister position in the state.
On Tuesday, Eknath Shinde resigned from his position as chief minister due to constitutional requirements, yet uncertainty surrounding the chief minister’s role persists. BJP national spokesperson Prem Shukla stated to HT, “The decision to appoint Nitish Kumar as CM was made prior to the elections. In Maharashtra, no such promise was made to the Shiv Sena. Additionally, our alliance with Janata Dal (United) in Bihar aimed to enhance the BJP’s presence in that state, which ultimately did not materialize. Therefore, there is no basis for applying the same strategy in Maharashtra.”
Shukla further explained to The Indian Express that the circumstances in Bihar do not apply to Maharashtra. “In Maharashtra, there is no necessity for such a commitment, as we possess a more robust organizational structure and leadership. Importantly, the party never assured that Eknath Shinde would continue as CM post-elections. Instead, the top leadership consistently indicated that the decision regarding the chief minister would depend on the electoral results.”
“The process of selecting the chief minister has commenced. Two parties have already designated their legislative leaders, and the BJP will soon make its choice,” he remarked.
Some BJP officials noted that the push from Shiv Sena leaders for Shinde to assume the chief minister role has not been well received by the central leadership. This sentiment was communicated to the party, leading to the cancellation of a planned show of strength by Sena leaders at Varsha on Tuesday morning. “The BJP has informed Shinde that the chief minister position will be retained by the party,” stated a senior leader from the Sena.
Eknath Shinde resigns
Eknath Shinde, along with Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, the two deputy chief ministers from the previous administration, engaged in discussions with Governor CP Radhakrishnan. The Governor requested that the Shiv Sena leader maintain a caretaker role until a new chief minister is officially inaugurated.
The situation became urgent as the term of the outgoing assembly concluded on Tuesday, November 26. The Mahayuti coalition achieved significant success in the recent elections, securing 230 out of 288 seats. The BJP alone claimed 132 seats, positioning Fadnavis as the leading candidate for the chief minister position, followed by Shinde’s faction of the Shiv Sena with 57 seats and Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) with 41.
New chief minister of Maharashtra is expected today
The announcement regarding the new chief minister of Maharashtra is expected today. Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Shirsat indicated that clarity on the chief minister’s role would likely be established by Tuesday night or Wednesday morning, following discussions among Shinde, Fadnavis, and Pawar with senior BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
According to news agency PTI, Shirsat stated, “The three leaders will convene in the evening to make an appropriate decision, which will be communicated to the media subsequently.”
Earlier on Tuesday, Shirsat noted that since the assembly elections were conducted under Shinde’s leadership, there is a prevailing sentiment among the public that he should remain as chief minister. However, he quickly added that he was unaware of the top BJP leaders’ stance regarding the chief ministerial position.
Union Minister Ramdas Athawale expressed support for Devendra Fadnavis in New Delhi, stating that the BJP has decided to appoint him as chief minister for a third term, although this has yet to be officially confirmed by the party. A BJP leader, who requested anonymity, highlighted that the party would refrain from hastily announcing its candidate until the allocation of ministerial portfolios is finalized.
