Mahayuti leaders’ big Delhi meet today as suspense over chief minister continues

The three top leaders of the Mahayuti alliance – Devendra Fadnavis of BJP, Eknath Shinde of Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar of NCP – will meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Thursday.

As the suspense over the next Maharashtra Chief Minister continues. On November 23, the Mahayuti swept the Assembly polls in Maharashtra, winning a whopping 230 of 288 Assembly seats. The BJP emerged as the single largest party, winning 132 seats, its highest-ever tally, while Shiv Sena and NCP got 57 and 41, respectively. However, five days after the result, the allies have been unable to break the deadlock over who would take the top post. Although, it is widely speculated that Fadnavis is expected to take over the reins given that the BJP won the most number of seats.

Ajit Pawar told reporters that the new Chief Minister is likely to be sworn in either on November 30 or December 1. “There will be two deputy chief ministers in the new government,” he said. Some leaders of the Mahayuti alliance have been making round trips from Mumbai to Delhi, holding meetings with the BJP high command. Late night, BJP leader Vinod Tawde met with Amit Shah for nearly 40 minutes and discussed government formation in Maharashtra.

According to sources, the central leadership is concerned about the Maratha community getting hurt if a non-Maratha Chief Minister, Fadnavis, in this case, is named in Maharashtra. The discussion took place over how the Maratha votes can be retained if Fadnavis is appointed as the Chief Minister, sources said.

Earlier on Wednesday, Shinde, who resigned as the Chief Minister on Tuesday, but is continuing as caretaker Chief Minister, said he left the decision to decide the next Maharashtra Chief Minister to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP leadership. “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.

He also said he spoke to PM Modi and assured him full support in forming the Maharashtra government.

Following Shinde’s indication to accept the BJP high command’s decision about the Maharashtra government, sources told India Today TV that the chances of Fadnavis becoming the new Chief Minister were almost clear. Sources also told PTI that the formulae of two deputy chief ministers representing the three major Mahayuti constituents will be followed in the new government in the state.

Shinde’s press conference followed vociferous demands by his Shiv Sena party leaders that he continue as the Chief Minister as the ruling Mahayuti alliance scored a landslide victory under his leadership. Shinde also rubbished reports that he was disappointed for not getting a second term as Chief Minister despite the Mahayuti winning a thumping victory under his leadership. “Nobody is annoyed. We have worked as Mahayuti,” he said.

“There is a meeting in Delhi tomorrow (on Thursday) with Amit bhai (Shah) and all related decisions will be taken there,” Shinde said, adding the modalities of forming the new government will be finalised in the meeting at Delhi. Union minister and RPI (A) leader Ramdas Athawale, an ally of the BJP, voiced support for Fadnavis as the next chief minister, but stressed that he would abide by the BJP “high command’s” decision on the matter.

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Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole claimed that the BJP’s central leadership pressured Shinde to give up his claim on the chief minister’s post. Patole said it was suspicious that so much time was being taken to form the next government despite the Mahayuti alliance getting a brute majority.

“The BJP’s central leadership pressured Shinde to give up his claim on the chief ministerial post,” he said. Senior Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat asserted that Shinde must be confused and bewildered because of the mandate which was not expected.

Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) suffered a massive setback in the Maharashtra polls, getting only 46 seats. The grand old party registered one of its worst performances, winning only 16 seats. Sharad Pawar’s NCP(SP) won just 10 seats, whereas Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) got 20 seats.