Shinde emerges from retreat, says will back BJP pick for CM’s post

A day after the BJP announced that the new Maharashtra Government would be sworn in on December 5, caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde surfaced on Sunday and said there were no differences in the Mahayuti alliance over chief ministership and he would support whomever the BJP elected.

Speaking to reporters at his native Dare village in Satara where he had arrived on Friday, Shinde said, “The BJP will decide the new CM and that CM will have my full support. There are no differences among Mahayuti partners.”

Shinde, also the Shiv Sena president, said talks were going on with regard to government formation and every decision would be taken through consensus by the NDA allies —BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP.

“Why should there be confusion when I have made my stand clear on the CM issue?” asked Shinde. He said he visited Dare routinely and had come there to rest. He sidestepped queries about remarks made by his own colleagues, including Sanjay Shirsat, who had said “whenever Shinde goes to Dare, he takes a big decision and he may announce a big decision in 24 hours”.

NDA sources indicated that Shinde had been lobbying with Home Minister Amit Shah to make his son Shrikant Shinde the Deputy CM. Shinde had also demanded Home portfolio, saying Deputy CMs had traditionally kept it, as did Devendra Fadnavis.

Meanwhile, BJP central observers are expected to reach Mumbai on Monday for the election of the leader of its legislature party, with Fadnavis tipped to be the favourite.

With the government formation delayed amid Shinde’s absence and cancellation of a Mahayuti meeting to finalise power-sharing formula, as discussed with Shah in Delhi, Shiv Sena (UBT) took swipes at NDA allies.

“To not be able to decide on a Chief Minister, and form government, for more than a week after results is not just an insult to Maharashtra (for taking our state so lightly), but also to the assistance provided by their dearest Election Commission,” said Shiv Sena (UBT) legislature party leader Aditya Thackeray. He said it seemed “rules applied only to opposition parties, and not to some special ones”.

“To declare the swearing-in date unilaterally without even staking claim to form the government and show numbers to the Governor is pure anarchy. In all this, the caretaker CM is on a mini vacation. Meanwhile, Maharashtra seems like no priority for those who could form a government. They are enjoying Delhi trips,” said Aditya.

Meanwhile, BJP leader Raosaheb Danve said the name of the new CM had been finalised and a confirmation was awaited from the top brass. “The people of Maharashtra know who will be the next CM,” former Union Minister Danve said without naming anyone.

Mahayuti partners Sena, NCP fight it out

Differences emerged among Mahayuti allies as Shiv Sena MLA Gulabrao Patil said the Eknath Shinde-led party would have won 90-100 seats in the Assembly polls had Ajit Pawar’s NCP not been part of the alliance.