Eknath Shinde will not return as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra even if the BJP-led Mahayuti returns to power in the state in the coming elections, state Congress president Nana Patole told CNN-News18 in an interview.
Patole pointed out that the incumbent CM is missing from posters of the Mahayuti and that the BJP has solely positioned Devendra Fadnavis as the face of its campaign in the state.
"The BJP is saying Eknath Shinde will be the CM. They are only saying we are fighting in his (Shinde’s) leadership, what happens later is not known… Amit Shah has said ‘humne de diya mauka’ (we gave a chance). BJP ke dikhane ke daant aur khane ke daant alag hain (BJP says one thing but does something else). They are not declaring any face," Patole said.
Patole further pointed out that that the BJP's banners only showcased Deputy CM Fadnavis, making it apparent who the party's choice was. "Fadnavis is BJP’s face it seems, like you say I am Congress’s face. On BJP’s banners, you cannot see Eknath Shinde’s face; so, people know the tactics of the BJP," Patole told News18.
Asked about the CM face of the Maha Vikas Aghadi, Patole said that Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar are determined to defeat the BJP and that the high command would decide the question of chief ministership after the results are declared, which would be acceptable to all.
Patole was campaigning in the Nagpur district where Fadnavis has served as an MLA from its South-West seat for five consecutive terms. Patole claims that Fadnavis will not have a cakewalk on the seat in the coming elections and that a close fight is on the cards. The Congress has fielded Praful Vinodrao Gudadhe from the seat.
Notably, the Bharatiya Janata Party has said that no leader within the alliance, including Eknath Shinde, has demanded the CM position so far. "Everyone trusts that the decision will be fair," Fadnavis told India Today.
"There will be no musical chair for the chief minister's post after the Maharashtra Assembly elections. No promises have been made for any such arrangement, as we already have a policy in place for choosing the next chief minister," the BJP leader said.
BJP national general secretary Vinod Tawde said on Wednesday that BJP will consider the political situation and long-term party benefit while deciding on Maharashtra’s new Chief Minister, if the ruling Mahayuti is voted back to power in the upcoming Assembly election.
“We have never given any CM face in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan. We are fighting these polls under Eknath Shinde and post-elections we will decide on next CM,” he told The Hindu.
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