Maharashtra: Mahayuti leaders meet Amit Shah; CM announcement soon
The suspense over the next chief minister of Maharashtra is set to end soon as key leaders from the ruling Mahayuti alliance met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi. The meeting was attended by Devendra Fadnavis, Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar. The final decision now awaits Prime Minister Narendra Modi's approval.
Shinde clears path for Fadnavis, awaits Modi's decision
Shinde has maintained that he will not be an "obstacle" to the Bharatiya Janata Party's decision on the chief ministerial post. "I have told PM Modi that I would not be an obstacle. We would go with whatever he decides," Shinde told reporters. He also clarified that he is "not greedy for any position" and assured that "no one is upset."
BJP leader Fadnavis likely to be next Maharashtra CM
Sources indicate that the new chief minister will be from the BJP, with two deputies from Shiv Sena and NCP. Fadnavis is viewed as a front-runner for the post. However, caste dynamics make it tricky as most MLAs are from the Maratha community, while Fadnavis is from the Brahmin community. The BJP hopes to quell fears of Maratha representation before making its decision.
Cabinet formation and criticism from opposition
Discussions also touched upon cabinet formation, with 22 ministries likely for BJP, 12 for Shiv Sena, and 10 for NCP. The Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi slammed the delay in naming a chief minister despite Mahayuti's majority win. Congress leader Nana Patole alleged BJP pressured Shinde to relinquish his claim to the post.
