Mumbai:

Senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis met outgoing Shiv Sena boss Eknath Shinde in Mumbai Tuesday evening, amid continuing suspense, and an absorbing tug-of-war, over the identity of the next Maharashtra Chief Minister. The meeting is being seen as an outreach by the BJP – to placate an ally who will likely be removed from the top post despite leading a government that was re-elected.

The big decision is expected within 24 hours; the BJP’s newly elected MLAs are meeting tonight – with Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and ex-Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani as ‘observers’ from the central leadership – to choose a legislature party leader, who will then become the new Chief Minister.

The smart money is on Mr Fadnavis, a two-time former Chief Minister and the man widely credited with orchestrating the BJP’s comeback, including hobbling the formerly undivided Sena and NCP and picking up the pieces; the breakaway factions added 75 seats to the BJP’s tally in this election.

However, for Mr Fadnavis to return to the top post Eknath Shinde must be persuaded to stand down, and possibly even accept a deputy’s berth, like the BJP leader did in 2022. And it is at that point the BJP’s plans to reclaim power in Maharashtra, without again antagonising a Sena ally, have hit a snag.

The Eknath Shinde Factor

Last week Mr Shinde, after days of public posturing, backed down. He said he spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said he would not be an “obstacle” to a BJP Chief Minister.

READ | “Won’t Obstruct”: In Maharashtra Race, E Shinde Leaves It To BJP

However, there remains a feeling that Mr Shinde and his party are displeased at being told to stand down. Mr Shinde’s absence from Mumbai last week – he retreated to his hometown in Satara district – raised eyebrows, as did the BJP simultaneously announcing a swearing-in date – December 5.

There was more drama this afternoon after Mr Shinde was admitted to a hospital in Thane, where he has been based since returning from Satara. The Sena leader, however, played down talk of an emergency – his team called it a “routine check-up” – and said, “sab badiya hain (everything is fine).”

And while Mr Shinde has made all the right noises, some within his party have not. Sena leader Deepak Kesarkar has reminded the BJP the election was fought under the Mr Shinde’s leadership.

“Now it is up to the BJP’s central leadership to decide how to maintain his stature.”

‘1+2’ Formula To Continue?

Sources have told NDTV over the past week the existing 1+2 formula established after the mid-term switch, i.e., a Chief Minister and two deputies, will continue, except the ‘1’ will be from the BJP.

The Shinde Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction will each name a Deputy Chief Minister. To sweeten the deal, the former will get 12 portfolios, including, possibly, the covered Urban Development, Public Works Department, and Water Resources ministries. The latter will get nine, including Finance.

READ | Maharashtra Chief Minister From BJP, Will Have 2 Deputies: Sources

This also means Mr Pawar will likely return as Deputy Chief Minister. But it is unclear if Eknath Shinde will be happy with that ‘demotion’. A possible workaround had been suggested – that he could get a union ministerial berth and his son, Shrikant Shinde, could become the Deputy Chief Minister.

READ | E Shinde’s Son Junks Deputy Buzz In Maharashtra Race

Shinde junior, however, has rubbished, at least publicly, that idea.

महायुतीच्या सरकारचा शपथविधी थोडा लांबल्यामुळे सध्या चर्चा आणि अफवा यांचे पीक फोफावले आहे. काळजीवाहू मुख्यमंत्री मा. श्री एकनाथ शिंदे यांनी प्रकृती अस्वास्थ्यामुळे दोन दिवस गावी जाऊन विश्रांती घेतली. त्यामुळे अफवांना अधिकच बहर आला. मी उपमुख्यमंत्री होणार अशा बातम्या प्रश्नचिन्हे…

— Dr Shrikant Lata Eknath Shinde (@DrSEShinde) December 2, 2024

“… there is no truth in it… the news about my taking up post of Deputy Chief Minister is baseless”.

Maharashtra Assembly Election Recap

The BJP, Mr Shinde’s Sena and Mr Pawar’s NCP, registered a landslide win when votes were counted November 23, even if the Congress and the opposing Maha Vikas Aghadi has cried foul since.

As the single largest party in the Assembly, the BJP is widely seen as having the edge in the chief ministerial race; it won 132 of 288 seats. The Sena is second with 57 and the NCP is third with 41.

The BJP, therefore, is not reliant on both allies to reach the majority mark of 145.

READ | Eknath Shinde Now Where Uddhav Was In ’19, With Big Difference

And the NCP has already professed support, meaning the Shinde Sena doesn’t have the leverage it had in 2022, when Mr Shinde broke from Uddhav Thackeray’s side and allied with the BJP.

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New Delhi:

At Mumbai’s Azad Maidan, preparations for the grand swearing-in ceremony for Maharashtra’s next Chief Minister are in full swing. A stage is being erected and a gallery is coming up, but who will take oath remains a question.

Leaders of the three parties in BJP-led Mahayuti, which scored a mammoth win in these state polls, are yet to meet Governor CP Radhakrishnan to stake claim to form the government. In fact, BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis, Shiv Sena’s Eknath Shinde and NCP’s Ajit Pawar are in different cities today. While Mr Fadnavis is in Mumbai, Mr Shinde is unwell and recovering in Thane. Mr Pawar is in Delhi for what he has termed a personal visit.

The BJP legislature party will meet at Vidhan Bhavan this morning during which party MLAs are expected to choose their leader. While Mr Fadnavis is seen as a frontrunner for the Chief Minister’s post, the delay in the BJP announcing its choice for the top post has given room to speculation. The three leaders of Mahayuti are likely to meet after the BJP MLAs’ meeting. A meeting with the Governor is expected tomorrow, on the eve of the swearing-in ceremony.

Sena Playing Hardball?

While Mr Shinde has publicly said that he won’t be an obstacle in government formation and that he has left the final decision on the Chief Minister post on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, his repeated absence from Mumbai in the run-up to the big day has sparked a buzz. Days back, the Sena chief was in his hometown Satara. He then said he needed a breather after the tiring election campaign. Now he is in Thane and is reportedly unwell. He is attending meetings virtually.

Amid the continuing suspense, Sena leader Deepak Kesarkar has said the Assembly polls were fought under the leadership of Eknath Shinde and it is up to the BJP to maintain his stature. “Our leader has already proven who truly represents the Shiv Sena. Now it is up to Delhi (BJP central leadership) to decide how to maintain his stature. We will not interfere in that decision,” Mr Kesarkar has said.

He also said Mr Shinde is not responsible for the delay. “The BJP’s internal selection process is their matter. Shinde has already conveyed that he will accept their decision.” Mr Kesarkar trashed reports of any discord within the Mahayuti. “Three parties working together require discussions. This is normal. It does not mean anyone is upset. Shinde is not unhappy, and the alliance is firmly united,” he said, according to a PTI report.

This morning, however, Sena leader Sanjay Sirsat said that Mr Shinde will decide by tomorrow if he will be part of the Mahayuti government. The Sena, it is learnt, is pushing for the Home portfolio but the BJP has not accepted the demand.

Opposition’s “Insult To Maharashtra” Pitch

With the Mahayuti not announcing its Chief Minister choice 10 days after the election results, Shiv Sena (UBT) legislator Aaditya Thackeray has said the delay amounts to insulting Maharashtra. In a Marathi tweet, Mr Thackeray said, “Despite this numerical strength, they have not yet been able to form a government in Maharashtra; Because our state of Maharashtra is not important to them Ignore Maharashtra, continuously insult Maharashtra and keep government formation pending… They have time to do all other things but for Delhi our Maharashtra, our state is not important,” he said.

In a massive mandate, the Mahayuti has won 230 seats in the 288-member Assembly. The BJP, with 132 seats, has decided to claim the Chief Minister post. Shiv Sena has won 57 and Ajit Pawar’s NCP has scored 41.

The Opposition bloc Maha Vikas Aghadi, which had outperformed the Mahayuti in the Lok Sabha election months ago, was routed in the state polls and managed just 46 seats between them.

The Opposition has alleged EVM tampering and demanded a return to ballot voting. The BJP has junked these claims, saying that the Opposition always raises this when they lose. The Election Commission, meanwhile, has warned that anyone spreading falsehood about EVMs will face action.

The Maharashtra Chief Minister will be from BJP, ally Ajit Pawar said today, adding that the two Deputy Chief Ministers will be from the alliance partners. 

Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and the BJP are the three partners in the Mahayuti alliance. The BJP emerged the single largest party in the state polls with 132 seats. Mr Pawar’s party won 41 seats while Eknath Shinde’s party secured 57 seats. Together the three parties won 230 seats in the 288-member assembly, well above the majority mark of 145.   

“During the meeting (Delhi meeting of Mahayuti leaders) it was decided that Mahayuti will form the government with Chief Minister from the BJP and the remaining two parties will have Deputy Chief Ministers,” said Mr Pawar. 

On the question of delay in forming the government – the Maharashtra Assembly term ended on November 26 – Mr Pawar said, “This is not the first time there has been a delay… If you remember, in 1999, one month was taken for government formation.” 

Six days into the declaration of the poll results, the BJP has not yet called a meeting of its MLAs-elect nor appointed the party’s legislature party leader. However, the Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule announced today that the swearing-in ceremony of the new government will take place on December 5 at 5 pm at Mumbai’s iconic Azad Maidan.

The event, said the BJP Maharashtra Chief, will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had credited “Ek hain toh safe hain (together, we are safe)” call for unity for the Maharashtra verdict.

Earlier this week, Eknath Shinde, the outgoing Chief Minister, said he would not be an “obstacle” and go by the decision of the BJP Central leadership regarding the top post. This effectively narrows down the choice to Devendra Fadnavis, who has been a Chief Minister in the past, unless the party decides to go in for a fresh face. 

Mumbai:

The suspense over who would be the Chief Minister of Maharashtra could be resolved this evening as the three key leaders of the ruling alliance — Devendra Fadnavis, Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar — meet Union Home minister and the BJP’s chief strategist Amit Shah in Delhi. Mr Fadnavis and Mr Shinde are on way to Delhi and the meeting is expected to begin at 9 pm. 

The meeting is being held a day after Eknath Shinde said he would not be an ‘obstacle” and go by the decision of the BJP Central leadership regarding the top post, effectively clearing decks for Mr Fadnavis, seen as the front-runner in the race.

“I have told PM Modi that I would not be an obstacle. We would go with whatever he decides,” Mr Shinde had told reporters. He also said he was not “not greedy for any position” and ‘no one is upset”. 
Earlier today, sources had said hat the Chief Minister would be from the BJP, who would have two deputies. 

The other hiccup in the naming of Mr Fadnavis for the top post is caste dynamics as an overwhelming number of the 288 MLAs are from the Maratha community. Mr Fadnavis belongs to the Brahmin community, which had caused a backlash of sorts in 2014 as well. 

Sources said Mr Shah had consulted senior party leader Vinod Tawde on the matter.

Earlier, during the community’s agitation for reservation, Maratha leader Manoj Jarange-Patil had called Mr Fadnavis a “Maratha-hater”. 

The BJP, it appears, wants to iron out all doubts before making a formal announcement.

The other question is where Mr Shinde will be accommodated in case Mr Fadnavis is named for the top post.  The options include Maharashtra as his deputy or the Centre. Sena sources, though earlier said he would be part of the cabinet in Maharashtra.

Today’s discussions will also encompass the shape of the cabinet, sources said. While the maximum number of ministers the state can have is 42, the division could be 22 ministries for the BJP, 12 for the Sena and 10 for Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party, sources said, indicating that the BJP is also bargaining for the key portfolios, including home.

The arrangement mirrors the seat sharing deal and the pattern of the victory, where the BJP contested the maximum and won 132 seats, establishing its claim for the top 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. 

New Delhi:

Maharashtra in the bag with a thumping majority, the ruling alliance Mahayuti is now facing the complicated task of choosing a Chief Minister — to which both BJP and current Chief Minister Eknath Shinde have a claim. As reporters clamoured today to have a straight answer to the question during the press conference of the alliance, Mr Shinde’s Deputy, Devendra Fadnavis — seen as the front-runner for the post this time — had everyone laughing with his response.

Asked who would have to “sacrifice” this time, Mr Fadnavis said, “First the three parties will choose their leaders. Then we have to call all the MLAs… Do not worry. We will ask everyone for their opinion. We will even take the advice of Athawale ji (Ramdas Athwale)”.

Union minister Mr Athawale is the chief of the Republican Party of India (Athawale), one of the smaller allies of the Mahayuti, which contested the Kalina seat under the BJP symbol, but is trailing the Shiv Sena faction of Uddhav Thackeray.

Mr Athawale, still, had been vocal, predicting a victory for the ruling alliance with at least 175 seats — falling, happily, widely off the mark. The alliance has swept the election, leading in 233 of the state’s 288 seats. 

The alliance had gone into battle without projecting a face for the top post, though Mr Shinde has been its face during campaigning. While all constituents of the alliance have denied having any differences over the matter, there is speculation that there may be a replay of 2019 over the Chief Minister post. 

Five years ago, Uddhav Thackeray, claiming that BJP was reneging on its deal of a rotating Chief Ministership, had broken the decades-old alliance and formed government with the Congress and Sharad Pawar — a move the BJP labelled power-hungry. 

In 2022, Mr Shinde had rebelled, with much the same accusation, split the Sena and formed government with the BJP, which had rewarded him with the Chief Minister post. 

Devendra Fadnavis, a former Chief Minister and the BJP’s most prominent face in the state, was coaxed into taking the spot of Mr Shinde’s Deputy by the BJP’s central leadership. But it had irked the party’s rank and file, given the number of seats the BJP commanded. 

This time, Mr Fadnavis is reportedly in the pole position, with the BJP set to scoop up 149 of the alliance’s 280-odd seats. 

There have been reports that the party’s chief strategist and Union minister Amit Shah had been quietly working behind the scenes to make his candidature more acceptable — raising questions on the fallout on the alliance. 

Mr Fadnavis has been underscoring the “Batenge toh katenge (Divided we fall)” slogan of Yogi Adityanath since morning.