E-Paper
Suspense over Maha CM: Devendra Fadnavis in Delhi amid Shiv Sena's strong push for Eknath Shinde
The Mahayuti swept the polls to the 288-member assembly, with BJP bagging 132 seats, Shiv Sena getting 57 and 41 going into the kitty of the NCP.
More than 48 hours after the Mahayuti alliance secured a landslide win in the Maharashtra assembly elections, suspense over the next chief minister remains.
The formation of the new government, which looked like would take place immediately after the results poured in, has been delayed amid reports of Mahayuti partners bargaining hard for the top post.
The Mahayuti swept the polls to the 288-member assembly, with BJP bagging 132 seats, Shiv Sena getting 57 and 41 going into the kitty of the NCP.
Here are the top developments on the big Maharashtra CM suspense:-
1. Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis arrived in the national capital late evening, where he is likely to talk to the top BJP leadership over the next government formation. With 132 seats, the BJP has a numerical edge over its alliance partners Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde (57 seats) and Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (41 seats).
2. According to a PTI report, the government formation has been delayed because the Shiv Sena is pushing for Eknath Shinde to be picked as CM again. Shiv Sena spokesperson Naresh Mhaske cited the Bihar model to assert that Shinde should continue as the chief minister. "We feel Shinde should be the chief minister, just like in Bihar where BJP did not look at the numbers but still made JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar the CM. Senior leaders of the Mahayuti (in Maharashtra) will ultimately take a decision," Mhaske was quoted by
PTI as saying.
ALSO READ: How parties fared across 5 regions of Maharashtra
3. Amid suspense over CM's post, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar dismissed any power arrangement ‘formula’. “There is no formula being discussed. We three (allies) will sit together and discuss on CM's post," he said.
4. BJP leaders Ram Satpute and Suresh Dhas have accused MLC colleagues Ranjitsinh Mohite-Patil and Pankaja Munde of betrayal and sabotage in the Maharashtra assembly polls, PTI reported.
Satpute failed to retain his Malshiras assembly seat and lost to Uttamrao Jankar of Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) by 13147 votes. Dhas won from Ashti trouncing independent candidate Bhimrao Anandrao Dhonde by 77975 votes. Satpute claimed Mohite-Patil used "half" of the ₹113 crore allocated by Devendra Fadnavis to the latter's sugar factory to sabotage his poll bid.
5. Shiv Sena (UBT) mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ on Monday took a jibe at chief minister Eknath Shinde, reminding him of his “promise to leave politics” if any of the rebel MLAs who sided with him during the split of the undivided Shiv Sena in 2022, lost the assembly elections.
(With PTI, ANI inputs)
