On Thursday, the three top leaders of the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance, BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis , Shiv Sena’s Eknath Shinde and NCP’s Ajit Pawar, will call on Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi. According to the media reports, the three top Mahayuti leaders will meet Shah to further discuss modalities of the government formation in the state. This comes following Eknath Shinde, who resigned from the top post on Tuesday and is now serving as the caretaker CM, paved the way for BJP top leadership to take a final call on choosing the next Maharashtra CM by declaring that Shiv Sena would not be a “hurdle” in new government formation.
While addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Shinde said that he was ready to go with the decision that BJP leadership takes. “I have told PM Modi that I would not be an obstacle. We will go with whatever he decides,” Shinde said at a press conference in Thane. following Shinde’s declaration indicates a smooth transition of power in the state Mahayuti’s stunning performance in the November 20 polls.
Even after five days following the result declaration on November 23, the allies have been unable to end the suspense over who would take the top post. The delay in announcement of new CM follows the Mahayuti coalition’s victory in the state assembly elections, giving multiple blows to the Opposition alliance Maha Vikas Aghadi(MVA). This comes amid the likelihood of Fadnavis becoming the CM given that the BJP emerged as the single largest party in the 288-member House.
The Mahayuti alliance comprises the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction), BJP and Ajit Pawar-led NCP while the MVA consist of Congress, NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray). Earlier on Tuesday, Eknath Shinde submitted his resignation to Governor CP Radhakrishnan at Raj Bhavan and will now work as the caretaker CM till the new leader for the top post is sworn in. The swearing -in ceremony of the new CM will take place on December 2. According to the media reports, the state will again get two deputy CMs.
A Shiv Sena leader said that Eknath Shinde will never accept the post of Deputy Chief Minister, adding that Mahayuti’s win was largely because of Eknath Shinde’s policy implementation in the state. Mahayuti registered a victory in the November 23 Maharashtra elections, securing 229 out of 288 seats. The BJP emerged as the single largest party, bagging 132 seats of the 149 seats it contested, securing a vote share of 26.77%. This is a step up from the 2019 Assembly elections, where the BJP had secured 105 seats and a 25.75% vote share. Its ally, the Shiv Sena ( Eknath Shinde faction), added a significant 12.38% vote share, further strengthening the coalition’s hold over the state. While Shinde-led Sena bagged 57 seats, the NCP won 41 seats to take the Mahayuti total to 230 seats.
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