Caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday clarified that he is not an obstacle to the formation of a new government in Maharashtra. He stated that any decision taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Amit Shah would be acceptable to him and his party.
Addressing a press conference at his Thane residence after resigning as Chief Minister and taking charge as caretaker CM, Shinde sought to dispel speculation over the government formation and the selection of Maharashtra’s Chief Minister.
“I spoke with PM Narendra Modi and Union Minister Amit Shah and informed them that whatever decision they take will be acceptable to me and my party. There will be no obstacle from my side. Any decision will be happily accepted. Even if I am not made Chief Minister again, I will not be unhappy but will continue to work for the welfare and development of Maharashtra,” Shinde said.
Reacting to Shinde’s statement, BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis emphasised that the Mahayuti alliance has always resolved matters collectively. “In Mahayuti, there was never a difference of opinion towards one another. We have always made decisions by sitting together, and we said before the elections that we would take the decision (regarding the Chief Minister’s post) collectively after the elections. A few people had doubts, which Eknath Shinde ji has now clarified. Soon we will meet our leaders and make the decision," Fadnavis stated.
The delay in government formation and the selection of Maharashtra’s Chief Minister has led to speculation that Shinde was seeking an extension of his tenure by another 2.5 years, while the BJP was pushing for its own candidate for the post.
“The interests of Maharashtra are supreme for us, and we will work for them. The Mahayuti achieved a massive landslide victory in the state polls due to the work and schemes launched by my government over the last 2.5 years. I travelled and campaigned for Mahayuti candidates across Maharashtra. The election results show that the people of Maharashtra have placed their trust in the Mahayuti government,” Shinde asserted.
He further remarked that he approached his role not as the Chief Minister but as a common man of the state. “I am very happy with my work as Chief Minister, and the election results reflect this. I was accessible to every person. Both the state and central governments have taken several major decisions that have benefited the state. Due to the successful and effective implementation of the Ladki Bahin scheme, I have been recognised as ‘Ladka Bhau’ – the brother of Ladki Bahin (sister),” Shinde added.
According to BJP sources, the delay in government formation prompted the party’s top leadership to call on Shinde to step aside from the race for the Chief Minister’s post. This decision was reportedly influenced by the BJP’s performance in the polls, securing 132 seats, just shy of the simple majority of 145 in the 288-member state assembly.
“Shinde was told that the party could not disappoint its leaders and workers, who want a BJP leader as Chief Minister. He was asked to focus on working towards a larger goal in the coming days,” said a BJP source, speaking on condition of anonymity.
