Maha puzzle: CM throne awaits successor
MUMBAI: Four days after the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance scored a spectacular win in Maharashtra Assembly elections, the suspense on who will be the next chief minister lifted on Wednesday with outgoing Chief Minister Eknath Shinde making it clear that he has assured Prime Minister Narendra Modi of abiding by whatever decision the BJP takes on his successor.
Though his faction of Shiv Sena has been posturing and pitching for Shinde’s continuance as chief minister in the second innings, he addressed a press conference at his house in Thane, saying that he will “fully support” BJP leadership’s decision to name the next CM.
Legislators from the BJP have been pushing for Devendra Fadnavis, outgoing Deputy Chief Minister and billed as architect of the party’s impressive show in the polls, to the post of chief minister. The BJP bagged 132 out of 288 Assembly seats, emerging as the single largest party in the politically crucial state. However, over the past four days the party has maintained a studied silence on the question of the next chief minister.
Shinde said that he would not be a hurdle in the process. “I called PM Modi and Amit Shah yesterday and told them to decide (on who will be the CM post), and assured them that I will abide by whatever decision they take. Our Shiv Sena will fully support the BJP’s decision to name the next Maharashtra CM. There is no speed breaker from our side,” Shinde said.
Shinde rubbished reports that he was disappointed for not getting a second term as CM despite the ruling Mahayuti alliance winning a thumping victory under his leadership. “Nobody is annoyed. We have worked as Mahayuti,” he said.
Asked if he was dismayed that he was not getting a second term, Shinde said, “There is no such thing. You must remember that BJP supported my tenure as CM.”
“There is a meeting in Delhi tomorrow with Amit bhai (Shah) and all related decisions will be taken there,” Shinde said, when asked about who the deputy chief ministers will be in the new cabinet.
The modalities of forming the next government will be finalised in the meeting at Delhi on Thursday, Shinde said.
Shinde thanked PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for supporting him during his two-and-a-half year tenure as chief minister. “We worked to take Maharashtra to Number 1 spot from Number 3 in six months of my becoming CM. I worked as the CM not to become popular but for the welfare of people of Maharashtra,” Shinde said.
Devendra Fadnavis said that the decision on selecting the Maharashtra Cabinet will be taken by the next Chief Minister after his name is finalised.
“Once a chief minister is decided, that person will finalise the state cabinet,” the outgoing Deputy chief minister told reporters in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
Later, speaking in Nagpur, Fadnavis said the constituents of the Mahayuti are united.
The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance scripted a powerful comeback in state assembly elections by winning 230 seats in the 288-member House.
Recovering from its Lok Sabha elections losses, the BJP bagged 132 constituencies, highest among all constituents of the Mahayuti. Shinde’s Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP also performed well. Sena won 57 while NCP won 41 seats.
Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) suffered a setback. The grand old party registered one of its worst performances in the state assembly polls after it won only 16 seats. Sharad Pawar’s NCP(SP) won just 10 seats, whereas Uddhav Thackeray’s (UBT) won 20 seats.
On Tuesday, Eknath Shinde tendered his resignation as CM to Governor C P Radhakrishnan. The Governor requested Shinde to continue as caretaker chief minister until the new government is formed.
Meanwhile, NCP leader Sunil Tatkare said PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah will take the final decision on who would be Maharashtra’s next chief minister.
“The decision on the chief minister’s post will be taken by PM Modi and Amit Shah....It will be taken in two-three days. After that the process of government formation will start,” said Tatkare while talking to reporters in New Delhi.
