Six days after the Maharashtra Assembly poll results were declared, the BJP remains undecided on its chief ministerial candidate and the power-sharing formula for the new cabinet. 

Late on Thursday night, top leaders of the Mahayuti alliance, including Devendra Fadnavis, Shiv Sena’s Eknath Shinde and NCP’s Ajit Pawar, met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP National President JP Nadda in New Delhi. The outcome of the discussions remains under wraps, as none of the participants disclosed details to the media.

While a significant majority of BJP’s 132 MLAs favour Devendra Fadnavis for the chief minister’s post, the party’s national leadership is treading carefully. Insiders reveal that BJP is cautious about replacing Eknath Shinde, a Maratha, with Fadnavis, a Brahmin, given the sensitive caste dynamics in Maharashtra. The contentious Maratha reservation issue has further complicated the situation, with BJP wary of potential backlash in the upcoming local civic elections.

However, sidelining Fadnavis is no easy task. Having led BJP’s election campaign and secured widespread support from party MLAs in Maharashtra, Fadnavis remains a strong contender. Some of his supporters have already voiced frustration over the delay in naming him as the chief ministerial candidate.

Shinde’s bargain

Meanwhile, Eknath Shinde is reportedly driving a hard bargain with the BJP leadership. If denied the chief minister’s position, Shinde is demanding key portfolios such as Home, Urban Development and Finance, alongside a Union cabinet berth. Shinde asserts that his tenure as the face of Mahayuti and the welfare schemes introduced under his leadership played a pivotal role in securing the alliance’s sweeping victory. While he insists on continuing as chief minister, Shinde has made it clear he will not settle for the deputy chief minister’s role.

“There is no discord within the alliance. I am content with my tenure as Chief Minister, and the new government will be formed soon. I have always maintained that we will abide by whatever decision BJP’s national leadership makes,” Shinde told reporters in Mumbai.

The political impasse has left the state buzzing with speculation, as the BJP grapples with balancing party loyalty, caste equations, and alliance dynamics.

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