Despite uncertainty over the next Maharashtra chief minister and whether the Shiv Sena led by caretaker CM Eknath Shinde will be part of the new government, the BJP’s central parliamentary board on Monday appointed Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman and former Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani to conduct the meeting to choose the BJP’s legislative party leader.
According to the BJP, the legislative party leader will be chosen on December 4 and an oath taking ceremony has been scheduled on December 5 at 5.00 pm at Azad Maidan in Mumbai in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Sources in the Shiv Sena said that Eknath Shinde, Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis were expected to meet in Mumbai and later fly to Delhi to meet the top leadership of the BJP to finalise the power sharing formula and seal the name of the CM. However, no such meeting has taken place yet in Mumbai or Delhi.
Shinde, who earlier recuperated after coming back from his native village Daregaon in Satara district, again fell sick with a throat infection. He reportedly did not meet his party leaders as well at his Thane residence on Monday.
Meanwhile, a Shiv Sena leader who requested anonymity said it was unfair on the BJP's part not to share key portfolios. “If the BJP is not able to give the chief minister post to the Shiv Sena because it has emerged as the single largest party and close to the majority mark of 145, then it should at least concede key portfolios like finance and home to the Sena as an honorable power sharing deal. Ajit Pawar has been promised the finance ministry even though he has only 41 MLAs but the BJP is reluctant to give the home ministry to the Sena even though it has 57 MLAs. This is completely unfair. The BJP is pushing the Sena out of power either by giving negligible portfolios or ignoring our legitimate demands,” he said.
He added that the BJP has been taking unilateral decisions after the poll result. “When the oath taking ceremony date of December 5, venue at Azad Maidan and timing of 5.00 pm was declared, the Shiv Sena and its leaders were not consulted at all. We were part of the Mahayuti government for the last 2.5 years but now the BJP should clarify whether they want the Shiv Sena or not. The name of the CM and portfolio allocations are yet to be resolved but surprisingly the BJP is going ahead with an oath taking ceremony. We are really clueless and do not know how to react to the sudden change in the BJP's conduct,” he added.
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Shirsat said the BJP should respect and honor Shinde and his sacrifice and courage for toppling Uddhav Thackeray’s government and forming a new government. He said they expect an honorable deal in the new Mahayuti government.
Meanwhile, Shinde’s son Dr Shrikant Shinde refuted speculation that he would be the deputy chief minister in Mahayuti government. He said on social media that news about him as the Deputy CM was baseless. “After the Lok Sabha election, I had an opportunity to be the minister, but I refused and decided to work for the organisation. I just want to make it clear that I am not in the race for DCM or the ministry,” Dr Shrikant Shinde clarified.
Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Atul Londe Patil alleged that the top leadership of the BJP has orchestrated a drama because they did not want to make Fadnavis the CM. He said without the support of PM Modi and Amit Shah, Shinde would not dare to challenge the BJP and its leadership. “The internal politics of the BJP is playing out in the public domain now. The party that says nation first, party second and individual interest third are now putting individual interest first and that is causing chaotic political situations despite a massive and clear mandate to them,” he said.