Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who has been unwell with a fever and throat infection, is set to return to Thane on Sunday evening.
Eknath Shinde, caretaker Chief Minister of Maharashtra, is likely to host a press conference today as uncertainty continues over who might emerge as the Mahayuti alliance’s CM candidate.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the strongest force in the recently held Maharashtra assembly elections, securing 132 out of the 288 seats. The results, declared on November 23, came after the elections held on November 20. The BJP’s major allies—the Shiv Sena faction led by Eknath Shinde and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Ajit Pawar—won 57 and 41 seats, respectively.
After the elections, Eknath Shinde resigned from the position of Chief Minister of Maharashtra but has been handed the caretaker CM of the state until a government is formed. The Mahayuti alliance consisting of the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP are yet to decide who will lead the state.
Ramdas Athawale, the leader of Republican Party of India (A) and a key BJP ally, asked the coalition to take a quick call on the chief ministerial race. Addressing media in Mumbai, Athawale said, “BJP has got 132 seats and hence I think there have to make a way … Devendra Fadnavis should be made the CM. Shinde can be made Union Minister.”
Athawale highlighted the split within the alliance, explaining that while BJP leaders favor Devendra Fadnavis for the Chief Minister role, some Shiv Sena leaders wish to keep Shinde in office due to his performance over the past two and a half years. “…deadlock is there…when Eknath Shinde came to know that the BJP high command has finalised Devendra Fadnavis as the CM (of Maharashtra), he is a bit unhappy, which I can understand,” Athawale added.
With the highest number of seats, the BJP has a strong claim to the top executive post in Maharashtra. Athawale emphasized that the BJP’s position as the party with the most seats in the assembly should be recognized, and Fadnavis should lead the state to maintain the party’s momentum.
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