Eknath Shinde has reiterated his demand for the Chief Ministerial post, declining the offer to serve as Deputy Chief Minister in the BJP-led Maharashtra government. Instead, Shinde has proposed extending outside support to the State government. However, his MLAs have urged him to be part of the government.

“Shinde told us that Shiv Sena could support the government from outside, but we insisted that he should be part of the cabinet,” Shiv Sena MLA Bharat Gogawale told reporters in Mumbai. Another MLA, Deepak Kesarkar, emphasised that the delay in government formation was not due to Shiv Sena or Shinde. “Shinde has already announced that Shiv Sena will accept any decision by Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. Eknath Shinde is not unhappy,” Kesarkar stated.

Amid the ongoing uncertainty, Shinde canceled all his meetings today, citing health issues and advice from doctors for complete rest.

Political analysts believe that even if Shinde decides not to join the government, the BJP can form a stable government with support from Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction. However, such a move could have implications at the central level, where the support of Shinde’s seven MPs is crucial for the stability of the Union government.

Meanwhile, Shrikant Shinde, Eknath Shinde’s son, dismissed rumours about his potential appointment as Deputy Chief Minister. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he stated, “There is no truth to these discussions. All news about my taking the post of Deputy Chief Minister is baseless.”

Sitharaman and Rupani named BJP observers

The BJP has appointed Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani as observers for a meeting of its newly elected Maharashtra MLAs later today. The meeting, expected to address the issue of the next Chief Minister, will take place.

Speaking to ANI, Rupani said, “As observers, we will visit Maharashtra to conduct the meeting. The date will be finalised, and the decision from the meeting will be conveyed to the party high command, who will approve the selection of the BJP state legislature leader.”

Amid this backdrop, several BJP MLAs met Devendra Fadnavis today, expressing support for his candidacy as Chief Minister. In Nagpur, Fadnavis’ hometown, supporters put up posters celebrating his potential return to the top post. However, Fadnavis himself has remained tight-lipped about the matter.

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