MUMBAI: The slugfest between the BJP and Shiv Sena continued over the name of the next Chief Minister of Maharashtra. The BJP has reportedly offered the caretaker Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Eknath Shinde, either a position as a cabinet minister in the Union government or the role of deputy chief minister under the probable leadership of Devendra Fadnavis.
Highly placed sources said that "Eknath Shinde, however, refused to accept either the offer of a cabinet ministry at the Centre or the deputy chief minister position offered by the BJP.
Shinde reportedly asked the BJP top leadership that if he is not made Chief Minister, he should be made the convener of the Mahayuti government, as the election was fought under his leadership. He also proposed that his son, Dr. Shrikant Shinde, who is the Lok Sabha member from Kalyan, should be made the deputy chief minister in Fadnavis's government.
BJP has yet to respond positively to this development," sources added, explaining that this delay has postponed the swearing-in ceremony of the new chief minister in Maharashtra.
A Shiv Sena leader stated that Eknath Shinde was the Chief Minister and the face of the Mahayuti alliance, which secured a landslide victory. "In this massive victory, BJP was one of the major beneficiaries, winning 132 seats out of a total of 150 contested. Shiv Sena contested 79 seats and won 57, while NCP won 41 seats. BJP cannot deny the contribution of Eknath Shinde to this victory. The Lok Sabha election was fought under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the outcome was that Mahayuti won only 17 seats, while the Maha Vikas Aghadi secured 31 seats. Therefore, Shinde should be given another chance to become the Chief Minister of Maharashtra," said Shiv Sena leader Ramdas Kadam.
Ramdas Kadam also blamed the Ajit Pawar-led NCP for extending their support to Devendra Fadnavis for Chief Minister, claiming that the NCP reduced their bargaining power by supporting BJP without proper consultations.
Another Shiv Sena leader added that if BJP does not concede the Chief Minister’s post to Shinde, it would send the wrong message to the cadre. "It will look like BJP used Shinde to secure the majority of seats in the state polls and then discarded him. Besides, this will give Uddhav Thackeray a chance to regain momentum. Thackeray won 10 of his 20 seats in Mumbai, and ahead of the BMC election, he will claim that Shinde toppled the MVA government, broke the party, and snatched the symbol, but in the end, he was used and discarded. Moreover, BJP’s plan to politically finish Uddhav Thackeray will remain incomplete. Therefore, the BJP leadership must think long and hard before making a decision," the leader added, requesting anonymity.
Sources indicated that the ongoing dispute over the Chief Minister post has delayed the swearing-in ceremony, which is now expected to take place on Friday, November 29, or in the first week of December.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena MLAs, who had been camped at the luxury hotel, Taj Lands End in Mumbai, were asked to return to their respective constituencies to meet with voters and thank them for supporting the Mahayuti alliance.
A post on social media also asked party workers not to come to Mumbai to offer further support.
