Shinde returns to Mumbai, says next CM will be announced on Monday
Mumbai: Shiv Sena chief and current Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday dismissed reports of bickering in the Mahayuti alliance and said the name of the new chief minister will be announced on Monday. Mr. Shinde said he visited his native place in Satara to rest after an exhaustive election schedule. He also assured that he is recovering well from high fever and reiterated complete support for the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance’s decision on the chief ministerial candidate.
Even nine days after the election results, in which ‘Mahayuti’ alliance won a thumping majority by winning 231 out of 288 seats, it has not been able to announce the chief ministerial candidate yet. Several reports suggested that the government formation was delayed because of differences between the BJP and Shiv Sena over the CM’s post as well as other cabinet portfolios.
Mr. Shinde along with BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis and NCP leader Ajit Pawar met Union home minister Amit Shah and BJP national president J.P. Nadda last Thursday in Delhi to discuss the government formation. However, after returning from Delhi, Mr. Shinde went to his native place for two days, which added fuel to speculations that he was upset with the BJP leadership.
Mr. Shinde said he was unwell due to overexertion during the election campaign and went to his native place for rest. Doctors have diagnosed him with a respiratory infection because of which he was running a high fever.
Before departing from his village for Mumbai, Mr. Shinde said that he has already extended his support to the BJP leadership. “The government will be formed without any problem. There is coordination among all three parties of the alliance. We are not bothered by what we get. We are more concerned about what we can offer to the people of the state as the responsibility has been increased upon us,” he said.
Explaining why he was away from Mumbai, Mr. Shinde said, “I am doing good now. I had come here to rest after the hectic election schedule. I did not take any leave during my 2.5 years as the CM. Because of that I felt ill.”
In a response to a query the date and venue of swearing in ceremony has been announced but not the face of the new chief minister, the Shiv Sena chief said that the BJP has convened a meeting of legislative party members on Monday to elect their leader. However, a senior BJP leader said the meeting may take place on Monday or Wednesday. He also confirmed that Mr. Fadnavis’s name has been confirmed for the CM’s post.
Senior BJP leaders such as former state minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil and former Union minister Raosaheb Danve also indicated that Mr. Fadnavis’s name has been finalised. “With a large majority, people have chosen us. So the CM is going to be from the BJP. For us Devendra Fadnavis is the CM of Maharashtra. As for other positions, that will be decided by the high command,” Mr. Vikhe-Patil said.
Earlier, Ajit Pawar had also confirmed that the BJP will lead the government and there will be two deputy chief ministers. The NCP leader is likely to be one of the DCMs while the other one will be from Shiv Sena — most likely Mr. Shinde himself.
The BJP has announced December 5 as the date for the new government’s oath taking ceremony. State president of BJP Chandrashekhar Bawankule has said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the ceremony. However, it is still not clear if only the CM and DCMs will take oath on that day or if few other ministers will also be sworn in.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray slammed the BJP-led Mahayuti for not forming the new government. He called the delay an "insult to Maharashtra" and accused the BJP-led alliance of creating "anarchy" by announcing a swearing-in ceremony date without formally staking a claim to form the government. He also questioned why the President’s rule was not imposed in the state.
