- Thursday, February 06, 2025
Shinde said that he would not be an obstacle in the government formation in the state and abide by the decision taken by prime minister Narendra Modi and Shah
By: Shajil Kumar
MAHARASHTRA chief minister Eknath Shinde on Friday said he had “good and positive” discussions with home minister Amit Shah and BJP chief J P Nadda on the issue of government formation in the state.
Speaking to reporters in New Delhi before leaving for Mumbai, Shinde said the decision on the next chief minister of Maharashtra will be taken “in a day or two” in another meeting of the Mahayuti coalition in the state capital.
Shinde, along with deputy chief ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, met Shah and Nadda late Thursday to thrash out a power-sharing pact for the next government in Maharashtra after the BJP-led coalition registered a thumping majority in the Assembly elections.
“We will take a decision (on Maharashtra CM) in a day or two. We have held discussions, and the discussions will continue. You will get to know when we take a final decision,” the outgoing chief minister said.
Shinde said that he would not be an obstacle in the government formation in the state and abide by the decision taken by prime minister Narendra Modi and Shah.
“This ‘ladka bhau’ (beloved brother) designation is higher than anything else for me,” he said.
Shinde said the meeting with Shah and Nadda was “good and positive”.
“We all discussed the formation of government. There is good coordination between the allies, we are all very positive and we will honour the clear-cut mandate given to us by the people. We will form the government soon,” he said.
“The meeting was good and positive. This was the first meeting. There will be another meeting of the Mahayuti in Mumbai,” Shinde told reporters early Friday.
The Shiv Sena leader said the people of Maharashtra have re-elected them with a thumping majority and respecting the mandate is the topmost priority, not “running after posts”.
Meanwhile, BJP has indicated that though it will be trying to rehabilitate Fadnavis, it is also keen about Shinde joining the cabinet to project a message of unity.
Recovering from its Lok Sabha elections losses, the BJP bagged 132 Assembly seats, the highest among all constituents of the Mahayuti alliance. Shinde’s Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP also performed well. Sena won 57 while NCP bagged 41 seats.
The Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) suffered a setback with the grand old party registering one of its worst performances in the Assembly polls as it won only 16 seats. Sharad Pawar’s NCP(SP) won just 10 seats, whereas Uddhav Thackeray’s (UBT) won 20 seats.
The Maharashtra Assembly elections were held on November 20, and the results were declared on November 23.
Deputy chief minister post
Meanwhile Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Shirsat on Friday said if Shinde doesn’t accept the deputy chief minister’s post, then it will be given to someone from their party.
Talking to reporters in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Shirsat said Shinde will certainly not go to the Centre as a Union minister.
Shinde has earlier said that he will “fully support” BJP leadership’s decision to name the next chief minister and won’t be a hurdle in the process.
This had led to debates over the possibility of Shinde being offered the deputy chief minister position and whether he would accept it.
“If Shinde does not accept the deputy CM’s post, then some other leader from our party will get it. He (Shinde) will take a call on this by evening,” said Shirsat, who retained his Aurangabad assembly West seat.
On Thursday, the Shiv Sena leader said Shinde was unlikely to accept the post of deputy CM in the new government in Maharashtra.
Shirsat’s party colleague and former minister Shamburaj Desai said their MLA-elects and party workers strongly feel that Shinde should be a part of the new government.
Desai was the guardian minister of Thane, Shinde’s bastion, from 2022 to 2024.
Looking at Shinde’s vast administrative experience, Desai said, he should be a part of the next government in Maharashtra. (PTI)
