New Delhi:

Amid the long-drawn suspense in Maharashtra over the Mahayuti’s Chief Minister choice, BJP ally and Union Minister Ramdas Athawale has said Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde is “upset” over the BJP claiming the Chief Minister post and offered him the Deputy Chief Minister post.

Citing the example of BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis serving as Deputy Chief Minister under Mr Shinde in the previous government despite the BJP having more MLAs, the Republican Party of India (Athawale) chief suggested that Mr Shinde should accept the Deputy post or a top position in Mahayuti.

NDTV spoke to Mr Athawale outside Parliament House today and asked him about the delay in the Mahayuti announcing its Chief Minister pick after its mammoth victory in the state polls. “The BJP high command told Eknath Shinde that it is not ready to give him Chief Ministership now because they have already given two-and-a-half years to Shinde ji. BJP thinks the Chief Minister should be from the BJP and the name of its candidate in Devendra Fadnavis although they have not announced it officially.” 

The 132 newly elected MLAs of the BJP will be meeting today and a final announcement is expected by tomorrow. The BJP has already announced that the swearing-in event will take place on Thursday and preparations are in full swing.

Mr Athawale said Mr Shinde is “upset” at being denied the Chief Minister post. “My suggestion is… Devendra Fadnavis had accepted the Deputy CM post in Eknath Shinde’s government. Like Devendra Fadnavis, Eknath Shinde should also take a chance with the Deputy CM post. If he is not ready to take that post, he should be the chairman of Mahayuti or he can come to the Centre,” he said.

Over the past 10 days, Sena leaders have said the election was won under Mr Shinde’s leadership and the BJP should acknowledge that. The Sena chief, however, has said in a statement that he won’t be an obstacle in government formation and left the final call to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.

In the Mahayuti’s massive mandate of 230, the BJP holds 132 MLAs, Sena 57 and NCP 41. The NCP has reportedly thrown its weight behind the BJP, so Mr Shinde does not have much leverage. The BJP, which had propped up Mr Shinde as Chief Minister after his mutiny toppled the Uddhav Thackeray government and split Shiv Sena, has made it clear that it won’t give up the top post this time.

Mumbai:

The Congress’s “overconfidence” in Maharashtra and its “attitude” during seat-sharing talks hurt Maha Vikas Aghadi’s prospects, a senior leader of Shiv Sena (UBT) has said a week after the Opposition bloc was routed in the state polls. The BJP-led Mahayuti scored a thumping victory in the election, winning 230 seats in the 288-member Assembly.

Ambadas Danve, Leader of the Opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Council said that the Maha Vikas Aghadi should have projected Uddhav Thackeray as its Chief Minister face.

“After the Lok Sabha election results, the Congress was overconfident in Maharashtra like in Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir. This was reflected in the results. Its attitude during seat-sharing negotiations hurt us. Uddhav ji should have been projected as the Chief Minister face. Not doing so harmed our prospects. The results would have been different if this was done,” Mr Danve told the media.

In a subtle dig at the Congress, he said, “They were getting ready with suit and tie even before the results.”

The Congress won 13 seats in the Lok Sabha election months ago, the highest among Maha Vikas Aghadi allies. Buoyed by the stellar show, the Nana Patole-led state Congress unit bargained hard during the seat-sharing talks ahead of the state polls, leading to friction in the alliance. Eventually, it contested 103 seats but won only 16. The Sena (UBT), which contested 89 seats, managed to win 20 seats. The third ally, Sharad Pawar’s NCP, contested 87 seats and won 10.

Mr Danve said some of the candidates of Sena (UBT) had pointed to the organisational aspect, but did not name any party. He said Sena (UBT) will prepare to build its strength to the point where it can contest all 288 seats in the state.

On his former party colleague and former Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, whose rebellion split the Shiv Sena, Mr Danve said the BJP has “many Shindes”. “The BJP has many Shindes in several states. The BJP uses and throws them away,” he said.

The remarks come amid talks within the Mahayuti alliance on who will be the next Chief Minister. The BJP has scored the highest among NDA allies and is learned to have pushed for the Chief Minister post. After days of posturing by some Sena leaders, Mr Shinde yesterday stepped back and said he would accept Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision on the Chief Minister post.

Mumbai:

It has been two days since the Mahayuti alliance of BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP scored a massive victory in the Maharashtra election, but there is no clarity on when the swearing-in ceremony of the new government will be held. The reason is a big question: who will the Chief Minister?

While BJP leaders would want Devendra Fadnavis to get the top because of the party’s huge contribution in Mahayuti’s mammoth score, their Sena counterparts would want the Chief Minister post to stay with Mr Shinde, arguing that his government’s policies helped the Mahayuti return to power. The Ajit Pawar-led NCP, sources said, may support Mr Fadnavis for the top post, tilting the scales in favour of the BJP. 

Of the 232 seats won by the Mahayuti, 132 are with BJP, 57 with Shiv Sena and 41 with the NCP. The leaders of the three parties have said they will sit together and take a decision on the Chief Minister face. The MLAs of the Sena and NCP have elected Mr Shinde and Mr Pawar as their legislature party leader. At the Sena MLAs’ meeting, slogans were raised in demand of Mr Shinde as the Chief Minister.

Mr Fadnavis, Mr Shinde and Mr Pawar are likely to fly to Delhi today to hold meetings with Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Discussions on rotational Chief Ministership may also be held, it is learnt. 

The Case Of Devendra Fadnavis

The tallest BJP leader in the state and a former Chief Minister, Mr Fadnavis is the frontrunner for the Chief Minister post. The BJP leader, who served in the Eknath Shinde government as a Deputy Chief Minister, is among the key architects of the BJP’s stunning strike rate in winning 132 out of the 148 seats it contested. Mr Fadnavis had agreed to play Number 2 in the government, albeit reluctantly, after the Eknath Shinde-led rebellion split the Shiv Sena and brought down the Uddhav Thackeray government despite the BJP holding more numbers in the ruling coalition. BJP leaders, therefore, feel he must now get his due. According to reports, BJP leaders are also against any rotational formula for the top post and want Mr Fadnavis as Chief Minister for five years.

Will Eknath Shinde Accept?

Mr Shinde, it is learnt, is reluctant to vacate the Chief Minister post as Sena leaders claim it is his government’s policies, including Ladki Bahin, which paved the way for the Mahayuti victory. Sena leader Deepak Kesarkar told the media, “Shiv Sena MLAs feel Shinde should continue in the post because under his leadership the Mahayuti worked very well and performed spectacularly in polls.” He added that Mr Shinde, Mr Fadnavis and Mr Pawar will take a unanimous decision on the issue and it will be in Maharashtra’s interest.

Giving up the Chief Minister post will also expose Mr Shinde to a scathing attack from his former boss and Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray. Mr Thackeray has already said that Mr Shinde would have to “work under Fadnavis”. So, the Shiv Sena chief would be looking to stay on to win the perception battle and show he is still in charge.

The Number Game

Despite scoring a mammoth win, the BJP is 14 short of a majority in the 288-member Assembly. But its tally of 132 has ensured that it needs only one of its allies to form the government. This leaves Eknath Shinde with few bargaining chips to push for the top role as the BJP can easily form the government with support from NCP. Against this backdrop, both the Sena and the NCP will be looking to make the most of the cabinet posts if the BJP insists on claiming the Chief Minister seat. The BJP’s national leadership is now brainstorming on the Chief Minister choice with an eye on long-term ramifications and organisational impact. 

As the leaders travel to Delhi to meet the Home Minister, deliberations could also be held on a rotational formula for the top post. 

Mumbai:

As Maharashtra moves beyond the ballot battle into a Game of Thrones with the Mahayuti, a celebratory get-together at Varsha — the Chief Minister official residence — may be sending out a chair message.

As the NDA inched towards a massive mandate, Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar reached Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s residence to congratulate him on the poll victory.

The leaders sat at Varsha, exchanging greetings and smiles, and one sight was unmissable. Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis sat on identical high-back chairs, Ajit Pawar and Union Minister Ramdas Athawale sat beside them in smaller chairs.

Read: Who Will Be Maharashtra Chief Minister? What Devendra Fadnavis Said

While this may be a pure coincidence, its timing could not have been better. Mr Shinde holds the Chief Minister seat after his rebellion that split the Shiv Sena and brought the BJP back to power in the politically-significant state. After the 2022 rebellion, despite being the big brother in the alliance, the BJP let Mr Shinde take the top post and took a moral high ground. Later, Ajit Pawar led a mutiny that divided the NCP and the rebel MLAs joined the ruling alliance. A former Chief Minister and the tallest BJP leader in Maharashtra, Mr Fadnavis accepted the Number 2 post in the government, albeit grudgingly.

Cut to 2024 and the BJP’s all-time best performance is the anchor in NDA’s Maharashtra sweep. The BJP has won 130 out of the 148 seats it contested — a strike rate of nearly 90 per cent. The Shinde Sena has won 54 seats and the Ajit Pawar’s NCP 41.

Read: 1:1 In Year’s Last Polls – NDA Sweeps Maharashtra, INDIA Keeps Jharkhand

The BJP is likely to stake a claim to the top post. And thanks to its stellar show, it needs only one of its two allies to back it to go past the magic figure in the 288-member Assembly. Mr Shinde and Mr Fadnavis maintained that a decision on the Chief Minister post will be taken at a meeting of the allies. But BJP’s strong score gives it considerable leverage and the allies may have to find joy in ministerial berths.

Against this backdrop, the identical chairs occupied by Mr Shinde and Mr Fadnavis send a silent message. Ajit Pawar’s smaller chair suggests that he will remain the small brother in the alliance.

The three allies, however, put up a united front after the win. Mr Shinde, Mr Fadnavis and Mr Pawar sat side by side as they addressed the media and detailed the factors behind the NDA’s big victory. Chief Minister Shinde sat in the middle, with his two deputies Mr Fadnavis and Mr Pawar flanking him. 

The election has been won, but the BJP has its hands full as it negotiates the Game of Thrones that will begin now and asserts its supremacy while balancing the alliance dharma.