Amid multiple reports of Eknath Shinde being upset over the Mahayuti alliance’s likely choice of the next Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) Members of Parliament have sought time to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Seven MPs and four former MPs from Eknath Shinde’s faction plan to meet the Prime Minister today. On Monday, the BJP’s top leadership reportedly approved Devendra Fadnavis’s name for the Chief Minister’s post. However, sources from PTI suggest delays in the formation of the new government, attributed to the Shiv Sena’s demand that Eknath Shinde remain the Chief Minister.
Maharashtra Government Formation: Key Developments
Fadnavis was in New Delhi last evening, to meet the senior BJP leaders and attend Om Birla’s daughter’s wedding, and is back on his home turf this morning.
Shiv Sena spokesperson Naresh Mhaske pointed to the “Bihar model,” where BJP supported JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar despite fewer numbers, as a precedent for Shinde’s continuation.
“We feel Shinde should be the Chief Minister. Senior leaders of the Mahayuti will ultimately make the decision,” Mhaske told reporters.
The ruling Mahayuti alliance, comprising the BJP, Ajit Pawar’s NCP, and Shinde’s Shiv Sena, secured a commanding majority in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, winning 230 of 288 seats.
- – BJP: 132 seats (single largest party)
- Shiv Sena: 57 seats
- NCP (Ajit Pawar faction): 41 seats
The opposition performed poorly, with Congress winning 16 seats, Shiv Sena (UBT) securing 20, and Sharad Pawar’s NCP (SP) managing just 10 seats.
