Maharashtra News: Amid Suspense Over CM Post, Shiv Sena MPs Meet Amit Shah In Parliament

Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah. (Photo: PTI)

Amid the suspense over the next Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) MPs met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Parliament on Wednesday. This comes a day after Shinde resigned as the Chief Minister, paving the way for the appointment of a new government amid haggling by his Shiv Sena faction for continuity and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) pressing for its candidate for the top post.

Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske left in the middle of the ongoing Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) meeting on the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024 to meet Shah. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) high command is set to meet Mahayuti leaders, including Praful Patel, Ajit Pawar, Devendra Fadnavis, and Eknath Shinde, in Delhi tomorrow (Thursday), news agency ANI reported, citing sources.

It is pertinent to mention that Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis travelled to the national capital on Wednesday. He is expected to meet the BJP top brass to help resolve the deadlock over the decision on the state's chief minister. When asked about the new Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Fadnavis said the answer would be provided soon, as discussions were ongoing.

"The answer to this will be given soon. Senior leaders of the three Mahayuti alliance parties are working together to make a decision," Fadnavis told the media. Speaking on other ministerial posts, the Deputy CM stated that the Chief Ministerial decision would be finalized first, after which the remaining appointments would follow.

Earlier today, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Shirsat emphasized that the next Chief Minister should be from the Shiv Sena.

Speaking to ANI, Shirsat said, "We want the CM to be from Shiv Sena. We contested the election under the leadership of CM Eknath Shinde, and I believe the top leaders will endorse him. You can expect the new government in Maharashtra to be formed by December 2. The swearing-in ceremony will be held on a grand scale, likely at Wankhede Stadium."

The election results for Maharashtra were announced on November 23, but the ruling BJP-led Mahayuti alliance has yet to decide on the Chief Minister. The Mahayuti alliance secured a landslide victory in the Maharashtra Assembly polls. The saffron party emerged as the largest party, winning 132 seats in the 280-member Maharashtra Assembly, while its allies—the Shiv Sena, led by Eknath Shinde, and the NCP, led by Ajit Pawar—secured 57 and 41 seats, respectively.