After Amit Shah's Nod, Maharashtra CM Deal Sealed? Mahayuti's Key Mumbai Meet Today

Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis meet Amit Shah

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a meeting on Thursday night with leaders of the three parties in the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance. The discussion focused on finalising the power-sharing arrangement and deciding how Cabinet berths will be divided among the coalition partners. The new government is likely to take oath early next week. 

After discussions with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP President JP Nadda, Maharashtra caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde called the meeting ‘good and positive.’ He announced that a follow-up meeting is scheduled in Mumbai on Friday, where the decision on the next Chief Minister is expected to be settled. The meeting between Fadnavis, Amit Shah, JP Nadda, Ajit Pawar, and Eknath Shinde lasted over an hour. 

Alliance leaders indicated that a new government in Maharashtra could be formed by December 2. While the BJP will retain the Chief Minister's post in Maharashtra, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has reportedly approved the appointment of two Deputy Chief Ministers, one from the Shiv Sena and the other from the NCP, the party's alliance partners. 

As the suspense remains over the name of Maharashtra Chief Minister, Sanjay Shisat, an MLA and spokesperson of Shiv Sena commented on Eknath Shinde’s role in the government. According to him, a deputy chief minister’s post “does not befit a person who has already served as chief minister.” He told PTI, “Eknath Shinde is unlikely to be a deputy chief minister.” 

"The meeting was good and positive. This was the first meeting. We had a discussion with Amit Shah and JP Nadda...There will be another meeting of the Mahayuti. In this meeting, a decision will be taken about who will be the Chief Minister. The meeting will be held in Mumbai," ANI quoted Shinde as saying. 

Shinde, Fadnavis, and Pawar left the national capital late at night after a meeting to discuss the formation of the new government in Maharashtra. 

Shinde met Shah in Delhi separately ahead of the meeting of the Mahayuti coalition. Reiterating the stance, Eknath Shinde stated that he would not obstruct the government formation in Maharashtra and would follow the decisions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah. "This 'ladka bhau' designation is higher than anything else for me," Shinde remarked, signaling his support for the BJP's nominee as the next Chief Minister. 

Fadnavis too denied any internal differences within the Mahayuti alliance, he asserted, "In our Mahayuti alliance, there has never been a difference of opinion. We have always made decisions collectively. We will soon meet our leaders and finalise the decision," Fadnavis told the media. 

The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance secured a stunning victory in the recent state assembly elections, winning 230 of the 288 seats. In contrast, the Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) faced a major setback. The Congress won only 16 seats, marking one of its worst performances. Sharad Pawar's NCP(SP) secured just 10 seats, while Uddhav Thackeray's (UBT) won 20.