Devendra Fadnavis to be Maharashtra CM? Eknath Shinde says 'whatever PM Modi decides'

PTC News Desk: Eknath Shinde, Maharashtra's second candidate for Chief Minister, conceded four days after the election results were announced, stating that he left the decision to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "I have assured PM Modi that I will not be an obstacle. We would follow whatever he decides," Shinde told media today, emphasising that "no one is upset" and that he is "not greedy for any position".

With the BJP's overwhelming victory in the assembly election, Devendra Fadnavis was seen as the front-runner for the position. However, there has been no statement since Saturday regarding what many believed to be an automatic decision, likely due to resistance from Shinde's party.

Shinde's Shiv Sena faction has been pitching for a second term for its leader, arguing that his government's welfare initiatives pushed the Mahayuti to victory. 

Some of his leaders have publicly questioned why Maharashtra cannot be like Bihar, where Nitish Kumar dominates despite the BJP's stronger electoral performance.

Earlier today, Shinde faction leaders stated off the record that the BJP had given them the Chief Minister position ahead of the assembly elections in 2019. 

This was the same claim made by undivided Sena leaders in 2019, who claimed that the BJP had broken the agreement after winning the election. Thackeray then pulled out of the alliance, joining forces with the Congress and Sharad Pawar.

The BJP gained 132 seats, the Sena 57, and the NCP 41 in the 288-member assembly, with the majority mark of 145.