Who will ascend to the role of Maharashtra's new Chief Minister? Despite a nearly three-hour meeting at Home Minister Amit Shah's residence in Delhi last night, the answer remains elusive. Among the attendees were acting Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, former Deputy CMs Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, and BJP President Nadda. NCP MPs Sunil Tatkare and Praful Patel also marked their presence in this crucial meeting.
According to sources, Home Minister Shah spoke individually to Shinde, Fadnavis, and Ajit Pawar last night. Shah deliberated on the cabinet distribution with them, indicating BJP's intent to retain approximately 20 ministries, in line with their legislative representation. Conversely, expectations are high for Shiv Sena to secure more ministerial positions than NCP.
After the meeting, all three leaders returned to Mumbai
Nevertheless, the allocation of specific departments remains undiscussed. Intriguingly, the suspense surrounding the Chief Minister position persists post-meeting. The discussions extended over three hours, with Eknath Shinde, Devendra Fadnavis, and Ajit Pawar departing late at night to head back to Mumbai.
Ajit Pawar and Fadnavis returned to Mumbai together, while Shinde traveled solo. Reports suggest further discussions will occur via phone today, with potential oath-taking ceremonies on December 2 or December 5.
The Mumbai meeting will finalize the Chief Minister's name
Acting Chief Minister Eknath Shinde described the meeting as fruitful and constructive. This initial session included dialogues with both Shah and JP Nadda. Shinde conveyed plans for Mahayuti leaders to reconvene in Mumbai, where they will finalize the Chief Minister candidate.
Reiterating his stance on the Chief Ministership, Shinde emphasized that there are no obstacles in the way, identifying with the title 'Ladla Bhai', which he holds dearer than any official post. At the meeting, Shinde stated, "This 'Ladla Bhai' has reached Delhi, and 'Ladla Bhai' stands above any position for me."
Mahayuti secures 233 seats
As a recap, the Maharashtra Assembly election results were announced on November 23, where Mahayuti clinched 233 seats. Despite this overwhelming mandate, the ruling BJP-led Mahayuti alliance has yet to finalize its choice for Chief Minister. In the 280-member Maharashtra Assembly, BJP emerged as the largest party with 132 seats, while its allies—Shiv Sena under Eknath Shinde and NCP under Ajit Pawar—won 57 and 41 seats respectively.
