The suspense over who will take the top post in Maharashtra—Devendra Fadnavis or Eknath Shinde—will reportedly end today. After Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde resigned on Tuesday, the political arena buzzed with discussions, but the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has firmly stated that it will not replicate the Bihar formula in Maharashtra.
BJP’s Prem Shukla and Raosaheb Danve clarified there was no pre-election promise to Shiv Sena, with CM decision post-election.
“The process to choose the CM has started, and the BJP will make its decision soon,” he said.
The BJP’s insistence on retaining the CM post came after Shiv Sena’s push for Shinde, which reportedly did not sit well with the party’s central leadership. Sources confirmed that the BJP conveyed its stance to Shinde, signaling that Fadnavis would likely retain the post.
The Mahayuti alliance, which secured a resounding victory in the state assembly elections, winning 230 out of 288 seats, has put Fadnavis at the forefront due to the BJP’s impressive 132-seat tally. Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction won 57 seats, while Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) secured 41 seats.
Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Shirsat said clarity on the CM post would emerge soon, while Ramdas Athawale backed Fadnavis for a third term.
Political strategizing continues, and authorities are expected to announce Maharashtra’s new chief minister soon.
