Fadnavis Calls Up Shinde, Ajit Pawar Lands In Delhi As Maharashtra CM Suspense Continues – News18

Last Updated:December 03, 2024, 00:01 IST

Maharashtra New CM: The BJP will now hold its legislative party meet on December 4 to decide Maharashtra’s next CM

Maharashtra Government Formation: The wait for Maharashtra’s next Chief Minister continues as Mahayuti parties are yet to decide the allocation of key portfolios, ahead of the oath-taking ceremony on December 5 in Mumbai. While Eknath Shinde’s earlier stand cleared the way for a BJP CM to take the helm, another day went by without any official announcement.

All eyes are now on the key BJP legislative meeting tomorrow (December 4) at 10 am at Maharashtra Vidhan Bhavan, where the party is expected to announce their pick as the next CM face of Maharashtra, weeks after the Mahayuti alliance won a thumping victory over the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).

Notably, BJP has already announced that the oath-taking ceremony will take place on the evening of December 5 at Azad Maidan, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other top leaders. NCP leader Ajit Pawar is currently in Delhi for talks on government formation.

What To Expect On December 4?

The BJP is holding a legislative party meeting tomorrow, where it is expected to announce its Legislature Party Leader and the CM face of Maharashtra. This comes as the state unit of the BJP announced that the oath-taking ceremony of the Mahayuti government will take place on December 5 evening, much to the shock of the Shinde Sena.

Following the election of the BJP legislature party leader, the name of the Maharashtra CM is expected to be announced in the meeting. Meanwhile, preparations for the oath-taking ceremony are in full swing at Azad Maidan, according to Maharashtra BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankule.

Devendra Fadnavis’ name has been finalised as the new CM of Maharashtra, a senior BJP leader told news agency PTI on Sunday. The two-time CM was widely seen as a frontrunner for the top post after the landslide Mahayuti victory. Another BJP source told CNN-News18 that Maharashtra caretaker CM Eknath Shinde is likely to be appointed as Deputy Chief Minister.

Ajit Pawar Reaches Delhi For Govt Formation Talks

NCP leader Ajit Pawar has reached Delhi to meet BJP’s top leadership for talks over government formation. He is likely to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the second time within a week to discuss the formula of distribution of Cabinet births and allocation of ministries.

While the Ajit Pawar faction has thrown its weight behind a CM from the BJP, the three parties are locked in tense negotiations over power-sharing in the cabinet, with Shinde seeking the home ministry vital for maintaining law and order, much to BJP’s reluctance, while NCP gunning for the finance ministry.

Shinde, Ajit Pawar and Fadnavis had planned to meet on Friday to huddle over government formation but it was put on hold after Shinde flew to his native village in Satara district after feeling unwell. He said discussions would resume on Monday, but today’s meeting was also cancelled.

Devendra Fadnavis Dials Shinde Amid Ill-Health

Eknath Shinde on Monday cancelled all his appointments and meetings after doctors advised him to take rest, as he is recovering from ill-health in his hometown Satara. Following this, today’s Mahayuti meeting was cancelled and Devendra Fadnavis called Shinde to check on his health.

On his return to Thane on Sunday, Eknath Shinde had reiterated that the BJP, which won 132 seats in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, will take the final call on the next CM of the state, ruling out any differences within the alliance over the government formation. Shinde said he would discuss power-sharing talks with Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar.

Shiv Sena legislators earlier made a unanimous decision to elect Eknath Shinde as the legislative party group leader, while NCP legislators chose Ajit Pawar for the same position.

Eknath Shinde’s Son Rules Out Deputy CM Post

Reports have floated that Eknath Shinde is pushing for his son Shrikant in the deputy CM position once the main leader is finalised. However, Shrikant Shinde put to rest all rumours suggesting that he would be nominated as the deputy CM, calling such reports “false and baseless”.

In a post on X, Shrikant Shinde said he had the chance of becoming a Union Cabinet minister after the Lok Sabha polls but denied it as he wanted to focus on working for the party’s organisation and his constituency. “I have no desire for a position of power. I make it clear once again that I am not in the race for any ministerial position in the state,” he said, while urging the media to refrain from “distorting facts”.

BJP Appoints Central Observers For Legislative Party Meet

Meanwhile, the BJP announced Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and former Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani as the central observers for the highly anticipated Maharashtra legislative party meeting on Dec 4. Rupani will reach Mumbai tomorrow, while Sitharaman is expected to arrive on Wednesday.

“The party has informed about sending both of us to Maharashtra as observers, we are going as observers for the process of selecting the party leader in Maharashtra. The central office will tell when the parliamentary party meeting will be held there, we will go there and meet everyone, then whatever happens we will tell the high command and then the leader will be elected,” Rupani told news agency ANI.