The suspense over who will become the next Chief Minister of Maharashtra continues, three days after the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance’s massive victory in the state polls. With the tenure of the 14th State Assembly ending today, incumbent Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has resigned, but the BJP is yet to finalize its choice for the top post.
BJP leaders are pushing for former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to take the helm, while Shiv Sena MLAs are backing Shinde to continue. The NCP, led by Ajit Pawar, is reportedly supporting Fadnavis. The BJP, with 132 MLAs, along with Sena (57) and NCP (41), holds the majority needed to form the government. The BJP requires just one of its allies to reach the magic number of 145 in the 288-member Assembly, putting Shinde in a weaker bargaining position.
Amid this uncertainty, a group of Shiv Sena leaders had planned a demonstration outside the Chief Minister’s official residence, Varsha, to show their support for Shinde. However, Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray intervened, asking them to cancel the gathering. He expressed gratitude for the support but appealed to his followers not to gather in such a manner. On social media platform X, he stated, “After the great victory of the Mahayuti alliance, our government will be formed once again in the state. As a grand alliance, we contested the election together and are still together today.” Thackeray’s message underscored unity within the alliance, even as the party navigates the delicate power-sharing dynamics following the election.
