Eknath Shinde Ends Deadlock, Accepts Maharashtra Deputy CM Post

Eknath Shinde Ends Deadlock: The suspense relating to the Maharashtra government formation is about to come to an end with care-taker CM and Shiv Sena leader of Maharashtra Eknath Shinde on Tuesday finally accepting to take the post of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister according to sources to News18.

The clues indicate, however, that the Mahayuti allies Shiv Sena, NCP, and BJP are going to squabble much over portfolios. The Shinde Sena is likely to get one Deputy Chief Minister's berth, and so is the Ajit Pawar faction of NCP.

The deadlock within the Mahayuti alliance over the top post ended possibly after BJP leader and likely Chief Minister natural-elect, Devendra Fadnavis visited Shinde at his official residence `Varsha' in Mumbai today evening. The meeting between the Mahayuti leaders reportedly went on for an hour.

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It was the first face-to-face meeting between the two influential leaders after the duo, along with NCP chief Ajit Pawar, met the top BJP leadership in Delhi last week.

But last week witnessed Shinde's unexpected "illness" and his hasty trip to his home town in Satara that raised many doubts, considering that it followed his talks with the BJP leadership in Delhi. The sudden appearance and disappearance wrecked a very important Mahayuti meeting planned over the weekend for finalizing a power-sharing formula.

Yet, the Shinde camp refuted all these allegations as rumors and said that the caretaker CM is not adamant for the top position.

Shiv Sena leader Bharatshet Gogawale said to ANI, “He (Shinde) did not meet before due to ill health, he is not upset…He had a meeting with the central leadership – Modi ji and Amit Shah, and there might be a meeting tomorrow as well. Decisions will be taken there (by PM Modi & Amit Shah). We are not adamant about any department."

One day after returning to Mumbai from Satara, Shinde stayed at his Thane residence and canceled all appointments citing ill health. He also visited a Thane hospital on Tuesday for a medical check-up, after which he returned to his official bungalow.

Last week, blowing the fog away on CM's pick, Shinde had said that he would accept the BJP's decision and not impede the process of government formation.

Shinde had said that he spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah and had assured them that he would not object to their decision on the CM pick. "You make a decision. BJP's decision is the final," he had said at a press conference, effectively clearing the way for BJP to choose a CM from their party.

Despite extensive speculation regarding Devendra Fadnavis returning to the CM position after a huge win for the Mahayuti, all parties have stood united. In the recent election, the BJP won over 131 seats in the house while the Shiv Sena and NCP secured 57 and 41 seats respectively, reducing the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) to a paltry 50 seats.

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The big decision is expected to come soon as the saffron party has appointed Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani as central observers to choose a legislature party leader who will then be the new Chief Minister.

Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule too had hinted all in the BJP want Devendra Fadnavis to be the Chief Minister. Though he pointed out that even while the workers in the Mahayuti alliance may want their respective leaders in the top post, the last word will be spoken collectively by all the leaders of the three parties.

“A BJP worker never gets upset with the decision taken by the central leadership. Their decision is final. Party leaders make the right decision. The Chief Minister of Mahayuti will take oath soon," Bawankule had said.

The preparations are on at fever pitch for the oath-taking ceremony, which will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and about 2,000 VVIPs, with some 40,000 supporters on December 5 in the evening at Azad Maidan, but who exactly will take the oath as chief minister is still uncertain.

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