Mumbai, Dec 1: Maharashtra's caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde clarified on December 1 that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will decide on the state's new Chief Minister, a decision he will fully support. He also dismissed any claims of discord among the Mahayuti partners regarding government formation, stating that talks were ongoing, and decisions would be made through consensus between Shiv Sena, BJP, and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), as reported by PTI.
Speaking to reporters in his native Dare village in Satara district, Shinde expressed that there should be no confusion about his position on the Chief Minister's post, as he had already clarified his stance last week. "I always come to my village. Why should there be any confusion when I have already made my stand clear last week?" he remarked.
Shinde had made the visit amidst speculation that he was dissatisfied with how the new government was shaping up. However, he confirmed he had been unwell but would return to Mumbai on the evening of December 1.
The Mahayuti alliance, comprising BJP, Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar's NCP, secured a landslide victory in the Maharashtra assembly elections, which concluded on November 23. The oath-taking ceremony for the new government will take place on December 5 at Azad Maidan in South Mumbai, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi attending, according to BJP state chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule. While the next Chief Minister's name has not been officially announced, BJP sources suggest that Devendra Fadnavis, a former two-time CM and the deputy CM in the previous Shinde-led government, is the leading candidate.
Shinde reiterated that Shiv Sena would support whatever decision was made by Prime Minister Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding the next Chief Minister. "The decision on the CM’s post taken by the BJP leadership will be acceptable to me and Shiv Sena and will have my full backing," Shinde stated.
Regarding his son's potential candidacy for CM, Shinde said discussions were still ongoing. "One meeting took place in Delhi last week with Amit Shah, and now the three alliance partners will discuss the nitty-gritty of government formation," he added.
Shinde further stressed that there were no differences among the Mahayuti allies, and that the government would be formed in the best interest of the people. "We will provide a government that people want. Our responsibility has now grown because of the massive mandate given by people as reciprocation of our work in the last two-and-a-half years," he said.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
