“Maharashtra CM Suspense to End Today? BJP Insists on Devendra Fadnavis, Rejects Bihar Formula

Maharashtra CM Suspense to End Today? : In the intense negotiations within the Mahayuti alliance on who would be the CM in Maharashtra – Devendra Fadnavis or Eknath Shinde – the BJP said there is no question of replicating the Bihar formula for the CM’s post in the state.

On Tuesday, Eknath Shinde resigned as CM in a constitutional obligation but the suspense over the CM’s post continued.

JP national spokesperson Prem Shukla told HT, “Firstly, the announcement to make Nitish Kumar CM was done before the election. In Maharashtra, there was no such commitment made to the Shiv Sena. Secondly, we allied with Janata Dal (United) in Bihar so that the BJP could make inroads into the state, which did not happen. Hence there is no question of replicating the same in Maharashtra.”

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Prem Shukla told The Indian Express that the model applicable to Bihar does not hold true for Maharashtra. “In Maharashtra, there is no reason for such a commitment as we have a stronger organisational base and leadership. Above all, the party never gave any commitment of continuing with Eknath Shinde as CM after the elections. On the contrary, the top leadership maintained throughout the elections that a decision on the CM would be based on the electoral outcome.”

CM’s name to be announced today

Sena spokesperson Sanjay Shirsat said clarity on the chief minister’s post will be clear by tonight or tomorrow morning after Shinde, Fadnavis and Pawar meet top BJP leaders including PM Modi and HM Amit Shah.

“The three leaders will meet in the evening and take a decision, which will be told to the media later,” PTI quoted Shirsat.

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Earlier today, Shirsat said since the assembly elections were fought under Shinde’s leadership, there is a general feeling among people that he should be the CM but quickly added he didn’t know what top BJP leaders have to say on the CM’s post.

Eknath Shinde resigns

Eknath Shinde along with Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, the two deputy CMs in the previous government, met with Governor CP Radhakrishnan who asked the Shiv Sena leader to continue as caretaker CM till a new CM is sworn in.

The urgency arose because the outgoing assembly’s term ended on Tuesday (November 26). Mahayuti performed well in the recent elections winning 230 out of 288 seats. BJP won 132 seats, making Fadnavis the front-runner for the CM’s post, followed by Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction with 57 seats and Ajit Pawar’s NCP with 41.

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