Eknath Shinde on Wednesday kept the political pot burning in Maharashtra as he left the final call on the next chief minister to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the NDA high command.
During a widely tracked media briefing, the caretaker chief minister of Maharashtra and Shiv Sena supremo said that he will not act as a "roadblock" and will abide by whatever decision the BJP and PM Modi take.
Maharashtra government formation: Live updates
"I called PM Modi yesterday and told him that I, and Shiv Sena, will abide by whatever decision you take. I conveyed the same to home minister Amit Shah. Shiv Sena will accept the BJP leadership's decision," he said, adding that there is no speed breaker from his side.
Shinde added that the final decision will be taken during a meeting of the Mahayuti leaders with Union home minister Amit Shah on Thursday.
Shinde, however, did not openly endorse former deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis—the BJP frontunner —for the top post.
Reading between the lines, Shinde has signaled that he will not play spoilsport when BJP decides to press its claim for the CM's post.
In fact, his press conference appeared quite like a farewell speech where he recalled his tenure as chief minister and described himself as a "common man" CM.
"Since becoming chief minister, I did not take a single day off ... I am not one who cries, I fight... I will work for Maharashtra till my last breath," he said.
Earlier in the day, Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske said that Shinde was not upset over Fadnavis' likely return as CM and pointed out that they are not like Uddhav Thackeray - a reference to 2019 when the then president of undivided Shiv Sena walked out of NDA due to differences over CM post.
Though Shinde has put the ball in BJP's court, his decision to not openly cede the top post also reflects a sense of political grit and an opportunity to put forth some demands on the table.
If he gives up the CM post, Shinde is expected to push for some berths in the Union Cabinet and seek plum portfolios in the incoming Maharashtra Cabinet.
Political posturing aside, Shinde's media briefing now gives BJP the power to officially coronate its own chief minister and ends speculations of any rift within Mahayuti.
The BJP-led faction scripted a historic victory in the Maharashtra election last week. The BJP won 132 seats, Shiv Sena Sena 57 and Ajit Pawar's NCP 41 in the 288-member assembly.
BJP's best-ever performance in the state has put the party in a sweet spot, giving it strong bargaining privileges ahead of government formation. It has also ensured that the party may not have to suffer the fate of 2019, when former ally Uddhav Thackeray joined hands with Congress and NCP to form a government despite BJP being the single largest party.
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!
