The next Chief Minister of Maharashtra will be from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), backed by two deputies—likely from Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction and Ajit Pawar’s NCP, sources confirmed on Wednesday evening. This arrangement mirrors the pre-election deal between the parties, with the BJP now taking the lead after a decisive victory in last week’s elections.
The BJP won 132 out of 288 Assembly seats on its own, and with its allies, it secured 235 seats, trouncing the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance, which included Congress and the Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar factions.
Although the new Chief Minister has not been officially named, many expect Devendra Fadnavis, who served as CM between 2014 and 2019, to return to the post. Fadnavis briefly took charge again in November 2019 after Ajit Pawar’s short-lived rebellion.
Under the previous agreement, Eknath Shinde was Chief Minister, with Fadnavis as his deputy and Ajit Pawar also serving as a deputy.
Speculation and Settling Disputes
Following the victory, speculation about the Chief Minister’s position swirled, particularly as it became clear that the BJP would need an ally to form the government, just like in 2022. Fadnavis and Shinde played down any potential conflict. Both leaders emphasized that the decision would be made collectively by the leaders of the three parties involved.
There will be no dispute… the leaders will sit together and decide, Fadnavis assured the press, while Shinde echoed the sentiment, saying, We fought the election together, and all three parties will take this decision.
However, speculation continued, with both BJP and Shinde Sena lawmakers lobbying for their respective leaders to be appointed as Chief Minister.
Shinde’s Statement: No Obstacle to Modi’s Decision
In a clear attempt to end the speculation, Shinde addressed the matter on Wednesday. He told reporters that he would not be an obstacle if Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to appoint someone else as Chief Minister. I told PM Modi I would not be an obstacle. We will go with whatever he decides, Shinde stated, adding that he was not greedy for any position and that no one was upset.
Leaders to Meet Amit Shah
All three key leaders—Devendra Fadnavis, Eknath Shinde, and Ajit Pawar—are scheduled to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday to discuss the final decision.
Past Promises and Political Turmoil
Earlier in the day, there were claims from some members of Shinde’s faction that the BJP had promised them the Chief Minister’s post. This echoed the 2019 political crisis when the BJP and Shiv Sena broke their alliance after a dispute over the Chief Minister’s role. Uddhav Thackeray, then the leader of the undivided Shiv Sena, became Chief Minister after allying with Congress and the NCP.
Since then, Maharashtra’s political landscape has been volatile, with the Shiv Sena and NCP factions splitting in 2022 and 2023, ultimately leading to their alliance with the BJP and the ousting of Uddhav Thackeray.
As the discussions unfold, all eyes are on how the BJP-led coalition will settle the leadership issue and form the next government in Maharashtra.
