MUMBAI: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and the RSS are lobbying for the promotion of Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to the position of Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
DCM Ajit Pawar held a meeting with his newly elected MLAs at his official bungalow, where it was discussed that the BJP has emerged as the single largest party with 132 seats, while Mahayuti has secured 230 seats in the 288-member Maharashtra State Assembly.
Sources in the NCP indicated that Ajit Pawar is more comfortable with BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis as Chief Minister rather than Eknath Shinde. Therefore, the NCP is extending its support to Fadnavis if he is chosen as the legislative party leader of the BJP and appointed as Chief Minister.
“In the meeting, it was also discussed that, if necessary, they would pass a resolution and extend their support to Mr. Fadnavis as CM. We are waiting for the top leadership of the BJP to make a decision regarding the Chief Minister post. After that, a decision will be taken in our party,” said a senior NCP leader, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Moreover, the BJP parent body also believes that Devendra Fadnavis should be elevated to the position of Chief Minister.
“The BJP alone has secured 132 seats, which is short of the magic number of 145 in the 288-member state assembly. Shiv Sena has 57 MLAs, while the NCP has 41. Therefore, the BJP is not heavily dependent on its alliance partners for government formation. It would be better for Mr. Fadnavis to become Chief Minister as his due has been delayed after his demotion as DCM. Furthermore, the RSS worked hard during the state elections with the hope of Mr. Fadnavis becoming Chief Minister,” said a senior RSS functionary, speaking on condition of anonymity.
On the other hand, Shiv Sena leaders argued that the state assembly election was fought under the leadership of incumbent Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and his contributions cannot be overlooked in the success of the Mahayuti.
“This success is not solely due to the BJP and NCP. It is the result of teamwork within the Mahayuti, and the captain of this electoral success was Eknath Shinde. Therefore, he is the natural choice and claimant for the Chief Minister’s position. If Shinde is not made Chief Minister, it would send the wrong message to the smaller allies of the BJP. We expect that Shinde will be chosen as Chief Minister until the BMC elections so that they can also rule India’s richest civic body the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation,” said a source in Shiv Sena, requesting anonymity.
However, sources in the BJP stated that the final decision on the Chief Minister’s post will be made by Union Minister Amit Shah after consulting the parliamentary board and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
