Shiv Sena will fully support the any chief minister chosen by the BJP’s central leadership: Maharashtra caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. “During my tenure, Amrit Shah and PM Modi supported me and fulfilled Balasaheb Thackeray’s dream of making common Shiv Sainik the CM,” he said and expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
Shinde said his party had no problem with the BJP’s decision on government formation in Maharashtra and that the BJP decision was final. “We will stand by their candidate for CM post,” they said.
Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis faces stiff competition with Sushilkumar Shinde to return to helm of state. Ajit Pawar of the NCP, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and BJP ally Ramdas Athawale are backing him too. He suggested Shinde may be moved to the Centre as a Union minister or Deputy Chief Minister. According to him, after the Assembly elections, when a party won the most seats, it was entitled to become the Chief Minister.
“The sentiment expressed by Shiv Sena leaders is that Shinde should still be in, because of his good governance over the last two and half years,” Athawale said. But there is no question that the BJP’s dominance in Mahayuti alliance means Fadnavis is the frontrunner.
In the Assembly elections, the Mahayuti alliance won a landslide victory, bagging 235 seats in a 288 member house. Shiv Sena was next with 57, while NCP, led by Ajit Pawar, managed 41 seats. It gave BJP 132, the largest in Maharashtra, but none of the ministers said they wanted to join the PM’s Cabinet. Five seats were claimed by smaller alliance partners.
The next phase of leadership in Maharashtra is expected to take place soon with a final decision on the Chief Minister.
