Who will be Maharashtra’s next CM? Fadnavis leads the race, Shinde claims public support – what we know so far
As the dust settles on Maharashtra's Assembly elections, the suspense thickens around the next Chief Minister. With the BJP's dominance and ongoing negotiations, will Eknath Shinde reclaim his position or will Devendra Fadnavis take the reins? Discover the unfolding political intrigue.
The suspense over next Maharashtra chief minister continued on December 2 as there was no clarity on who will succeed Eknath Shinde to lead the Mahayuti government.
Shinde, who is the caretaker CM, is unwell. Reports suggested he cancelled his meeting with other Mahayuti leaders on Monday due to health reasons. But Shiv Sena (Shinde) sources said no such meeting was scheduled. The Shiv Sena is waiting for a meeting date to be announced by the single-largest party which is the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), they said.
BJP leader and former minister, Sudhir Mungantiwar said Devendra Fadnavis will be the Maharashtra Chief Minister. "It is my opinion that the decision will be taken in the meeting of the legislative party. BJP will not give any surprise," he said.
In another development, the BJP appointed Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani as central observers for the Maharashtra Legislature party meeting scheduled at 10 am on December 4. The MLAs will elect their leader in the legislature party meeting, who will most likely serve as the state's next chief minister.
CM will be from BJP
The BJP's decision comes two days after NCP chief Ajit Pawar confirmed that the Chief Minister will be from the BJP, with deputy chief ministers from both the NCP and Shiv Sena.
The Shiv Sena and the NCP have elected Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar as their legislature party leaders, but an official announcement of the Chief Minister's name is still awaited even as Devendra Fadnavis remains the frontrunner. Pawar reportedly flew to Delhi on December 2 to meet with top BJP leadership over Mahayuti government formation.
Earlier in the day, Eknath Shinde's son, Shrikant Shinde, who is a BJP MP, ruled out any chances of him becoming the next deputy CM.
On Sunday, Shinde pitched for his return to the top post in Maharashtra saying that people wanted him back as the chief minister since he worked for them in his tenure since 2022.
“I was the people’s Chief Minister. Actually, I used to say that I was not just the Chief Minister but the Common Man. As a common man, I understood problems and pain suffered by the people and tried to address them. Since I worked as a common man, obviously people feel that I should become the Chief Minister,” Shinde said.
Shinde, who rebelled along with over 39 party lawmakers in 2022 and eventually became Chief Minister of the Mahayuti government, also reminded the BJP leadership that Maharashtra Assembly elections were successfully fought under his leadership. He, however, reiterated that his party would support the decision taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modiand Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Maharashtra CM oath-taking ceremony
PM Modi will attend the swearing-in of the new Mahayuti government in Maharashtra on December 5. The oath-taking ceremony will take place at 5 pm at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai, state BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule said last week.
I was the people’s Chief Minister. Actually, I used to say that I was not just the Chief Minister but the Common Man.
The Assembly Elections in Maharashtra were held on November 20 and the results were announced on November 23. The Mahayuti won 230 seats in the 288-member assembly elections. Of these, the BJP alone bagged 132 seats. Among other partners, Shinde-led Shiv Sena won 57 seats, while Ajit Pawar’s NCP won 41 seats.
Since then there has been speculation about who will be the next Chief Minister of Maharashtra — Eknath Shinde or Devendra Fadnavis.
Key Takeaways
- The BJP’s strong performance in the assembly elections positions it to lead the new government.
- The decision on the Chief Minister remains uncertain, highlighting the intricacies of coalition politics.
- Eknath Shinde’s claim to leadership reflects the importance of public perception and party loyalty.
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Business NewsElectionsWho will be Maharashtra’s next CM? Fadnavis leads the race, Shinde claims public support – what we know so far
First Published:2 Dec 2024, 05:04 PM IST
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