With Maharashtra CM Post In Focus, Mahayuti Leaders Meet Amit Shah In Delhi — 10 Points

Maharashtra CM Post: Caretaker CM Eknath Shinde, Devendra Fadnavis, and Ajit Pawar arrived in Delhi on Thursday night for the crucial meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah amid the suspense over the CM post.

(Photo:ANI)

Maharashtra CM News: Amid the ongoing suspense over the next Maharashtra Chief Minister, Maharashtra's outgoing Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, his deputies Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the national capital on Thursday night to thrash out a power-sharing pact in the state.

So far, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Fadnavis is the frontrunner for the CM's chair. He held the post between 2014 and 2019, and for a few days again in November, following the 2019 Assembly election, after Ajit Pawar's first attempted rebellion.

Maharashtra CM Post Race: Here Are Key Points

1. NCP chief and Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar said a decision on ministerial berths for the alliance partners -- BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP -- will be decided at the meeting with Shah on Thursday night. Leaders of the alliance said a new government could be in place in Maharashtra latest by December 2.

2. Shinde reached the national capital along with senior party leaders Uday Samant and Shambhuraj Desai. Earlier, Fadnavis held a meeting with Ajit Pawar at the residence of NCP leader Sunil Tatkare.

3. The outgoing CM met Shah in Delhi separately ahead of the meeting of the Mahayuti coalition, as reported by news agency PTI. The Shiv Sena leader, who arrived from Mumbai, drove straight to Shah's Krishna Menon Marg residence, where BJP president J P Nadda was already present.

4. On Wednesday, Shinde broke his silence and said he has assured Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he will abide by whatever decision the BJP takes on naming his successor.

5. Shinde’s announcement followed vociferous demands by his Shiv Sena party leaders that he continue as CM as the ruling Mahayuti alliance scored a landslide victory under his leadership.

6. Speaking to reporters, Shinde said that he would not be an obstacle in the government formation in the state and abide by the decision taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah. This cleared the decks for the saffron party to have its nominee as the next chief minister in Maharashtra. "This 'ladka bhau' (beloved brother) has arrived in Delhi and the 'ladka bhau' designation is higher than anything else for me," he said.

7. Addressing a press conference in Thane, Shinde (60) said he will “fully support” the saffron party’s leadership decision to name the next CM and won’t be a hurdle in the process. “I called PM Modi and Amit Shah yesterday and told them to decide (on who will be the CM post) and assured them that I will abide by whatever decision they take,” Shinde said. “Our Shiv Sena will fully support the BJP’s decision to name the next Maharashtra CM. There is no speed breaker from our side,” Shinde said, showing no trace on his face of having to swallow the bitter pill.

8. The BJP handed a crushing defeat to the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), the opposition alliance of the Congress and the Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar factions of the Sena and NCP, winning 132 (of 288) Assembly seats on its own and 235 with its allies.

9. On Tuesday, Eknath Shinde tendered his resignation as chief minister to Governor C P Radhakrishnan. The governor requested Shinde to continue as caretaker chief minister until a new government is formed.

10. The Maharashtra assembly elections were held on November 20, and the results were declared on November 23.