Fadnavis Calls on Shinde to Return from Satara, Cabinet Discussions Anticipated
Click to start listening
Mumbai, Dec 1 (NationPress) With uncertainty surrounding the next Chief Minister of Maharashtra, BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis reached out to the acting Chief Minister Eknath Shinde via phone on Sunday, urging him to come back to Mumbai from Satara, as reported by a party source.
Acting CM Shinde is likely to arrive at his residence in Thane by evening after spending two days in Satara, according to the source, who mentioned that discussions regarding the allocation of Cabinet positions among Mahayuti partners may ensue.
Additionally, conversations about selecting a new convenor for Mahayuti and determining a new Speaker are also expected to be on the agenda, the source indicated.
Fadnavis, seen as a strong candidate to succeed Shinde as CM, has been in touch with the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) chief at a time when the alliance partners are negotiating the framework of the next government while postponing the announcement of the new Chief Minister's name.
The source noted that the Shiv Sena is keen to negotiate firmly regarding Cabinet portfolios, and Shinde’s abrupt visit to his hometown Dare in Satara on Friday was viewed as an expression of his dissatisfaction with the ongoing discussions about government formation and the selection of the new CM.
With only four days remaining until the new CM’s oath-taking, Shinde’s return to Thane is anticipated to accelerate negotiations concerning the distribution of portfolios among the Mahayuti allies – BJP, Shiv Sena, and Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar), sources disclosed.
The BJP emerged as the largest party, securing an impressive 132 seats, while Shiv Sena captured 57 and NCP received 41 seats in the 288-member Assembly. Despite Mahayuti contesting the recent Assembly elections under CM Shinde’s leadership, the BJP has already signaled its unwillingness to relinquish the CM position to Shinde.
Furthermore, reports suggest that the BJP has also declined to include Shinde’s son Shrikant as a deputy chief minister in the upcoming government.
The inauguration of the 31st Chief Minister of Maharashtra is scheduled for December 5 at 5 pm at the historic Azad Maidan near Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in south Mumbai. The ceremony is expected to draw many prominent BJP leaders.
Even a week after the announcement of the Maharashtra Assembly election results, Mahayuti has yet to provide specifics regarding the next government.
Although the BJP has not yet formally named Fadnavis as the leader of the legislature party group, party sources suggest that the former Deputy CM is poised to take the oath as Chief Minister for the third time.
Fadnavis previously led the BJP-backed government from 2014 to 2019 and briefly assumed the position of Chief Minister with Ajit Pawar as deputy for 80 hours when the government was not formed following Ajit Pawar's resignation.
Sources within the BJP have dismissed the names of Union Minister Murlidhar Mohol, Chandrakant Patil, and Vinod Tawde as potential CM candidates, reaffirming that Fadnavis remains the party's natural choice.
