Maharashtra CM standoff: Eknath Shinde unwell, Ajit Pawar heads to Delhi for govt talks
Maharashtra CM standoff: The political drama surrounding the selection of Maharashtra's next Chief Minister continues as caretaker CM Eknath Shinde cancelled his planned meetings on Monday due to ill health. Meanwhile, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar has left for Delhi to meet with the BJP leadership for discussions on the state’s government formation and portfolio allocations.
Eknath Shinde, who had been scheduled to attend a crucial meeting of Mahayuti leaders to finalise the allocation of portfolios, was unable to do so after being diagnosed with a throat infection and fever. He had stayed at his native village in Satara over the weekend to recover from his illness, and the planned meeting was subsequently postponed. The rescheduled meeting is now expected to take place on Tuesday.
However, sources within the Shiv Sena have stated that there was no such meeting planned for Monday. They also mentioned that the party was awaiting the BJP, the largest member of the alliance, to initiate the scheduling of the meeting.
The Mahayuti alliance, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar-led NCP, emerged victorious in the Maharashtra Assembly elections held on November 20. The alliance swept the polls, securing 230 of the 288 seats. The BJP won an impressive 132 seats, while Shiv Sena and NCP bagged 57 and 41 seats, respectively. With the BJP’s overwhelming strength in the Assembly, Devendra Fadnavis is widely expected to be named the Chief Minister, although no formal announcement has yet been made.
Meanwhile, Ajit Pawar has departed for Delhi to meet with senior BJP leaders. The discussions will centre around the formation of the new government and the distribution of ministerial portfolios. Given the growing political tensions, Ajit Pawar’s visit underscores the ongoing uncertainty over the CM selection process and highlights the complex negotiations within the ruling alliance.
Adding to the suspense surrounding Maharashtra's next CM, Shrikant Shinde, son of Eknath Shinde, denied reports suggesting he was seeking the Deputy Chief Minister’s post. These rumours had gained traction following the caretaker CM’s brief illness and the subsequent delay in government formation discussions. Shrikant Shinde rejected these claims as “baseless,” stating that he was not in the race for any ministerial position.
In a tweet, Shrikant Shinde clarified that although he had been offered a ministerial post in the Central government after the NDA's victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, he had chosen to focus on party work instead. “I have no desire for a position in power,” he reiterated, stating that he would continue to serve his Lok Sabha constituency and the party without any aspirations for a ministerial post in the state government.
As the debate continues over who will be the next Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Eknath Shinde had earlier stated that he would not stand in the way of discussions concerning the top post. He confirmed that the decision on the next CM would be left to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP leadership, signaling that he was open to the party’s choice.
Swearing-in scheduled for Dec 5
Despite the delay in finalising the CM selection, Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule has confirmed that the swearing-in ceremony for the new government will take place on December 5 in Mumbai. This ceremony is expected to mark the official beginning of the next Maharashtra government, but whether Devendra Fadnavis or another BJP leader will take the oath as Chief Minister is yet to be determined.
- With inputs from agencies
