Eknath Shinde, the outgoing Chief Minister of Maharashtra, has returned to Mumbai from Delhi and is now on his way to his native village in Satara district. There is still uncertainty regarding who will succeed him, even a week after the assembly poll results. Shinde had initially mentioned that the Mahayuti alliance meeting for government formation would take place on Friday in Mumbai, but now it is expected to happen on Sunday.
Despite being the head of the Shiv Sena, Shinde has made it clear that he will not stand in the way of government formation and will follow the decisions made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding the next Chief Minister. There are differing opinions within the Shiv Sena regarding Shinde’s role in the new government led by the BJP, the largest party in the Mahayuti alliance. Some members are suggesting that Shinde should accept the position of Deputy Chief Minister if offered by the BJP. However, others believe that it would not be appropriate for him to take on the number two position after serving as Chief Minister for over two years.
The process of government formation will commence once the BJP announces its leader of the legislature party. During his visit to Delhi, Shinde met with Amit Shah to discuss the formation of the new government in Maharashtra. His deputies in the outgoing state cabinet, Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, also had discussions with the senior BJP leader. Shinde described the discussions as “good and positive.” Furthermore, Shinde, Fadnavis, and Pawar also met with BJP president J P Nadda.
It is clear that there are important decisions to be made regarding the leadership of Maharashtra, and the upcoming Mahayuti meeting on Sunday will likely shed more light on the situation. The people of Maharashtra are eagerly awaiting the formation of the new government, and all eyes are on the developments within the Mahayuti alliance. Stay tuned for more updates on this evolving political situation.