iwildcasino ‘No Rift In Mahayuti’, Says Shinde As Decision On Next CM Looms
‘No Rift In Mahayuti’, Says Shinde As Decision On Next CM Looms Photo: PTI ‘No Rift In Mahayuti’, Says Shinde As Decision On Next CM Looms Photo: PTI 
Maharashtra’s outgoing Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has extended his “full support” for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s decision on the new chief minister.
Speaking to media he reiterated there were no differences within the Mahayuti alliance.
The statement came amid reports that his son Shrikant Shinde is being considered for the deputy Chief ministers position.
After meeting BJP leaders in Delhi on Friday, Shinde had headed straight to his ancestral village in Satara.
Shinde on Sunday spoke to media just before leaving for Mumbai . Shinde said that the BJP would make the final call on the chief minister’s post and that BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP would decide formation of government through consensus.
“I have already said the decision on CM’s post taken by the BJP leadership will be acceptable to me and Shiv Sena and we will have my full backing,” PTI quoted Shinde.
Shinde said his 2.5 year term will be written in "golden letters in history".
"This is why people have given us a historic mandate and did not give the opposition a chance to elect a leader of opposition. All three allies of the Mahayuti have a good understanding," he added.
Reports suggest that Shinde wants the deputy chief minister for his son and is also keen to get Home portfolio for Shiv Sena.
Shinde confirmed that discussions on the government formation were ongoing. “We three alliance partners will discuss the nitty-gritty of government formation,” he said.
Despite the Mahayuti coalition, which includes the BJP, the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) and Ajit Pawar’s faction of the NCP, registering a massive victory in the Maharashtra polls, and the BJP emerging as the single largest party with 132 seats, the new government is yet to be sworn in.
The delay is attributed to Shiv Sena’s expectations of the top post. As the party feels the resounding victory was under the leadership of Eknath Shinde.
On its part BJP is “cautious ” in handling its aspirations of its allies. The party however is reluctant to give its claim to the Chief Minister’s post as its performance is much better than its allies.
According to PTI, BJP’s legislature party meeting to elect the chief minister is yet to be held despite the fact that the Shiv Sena and the NCP have already chosen their leaders.
Many BJP leaders have announced December 5 as the date for the swearing-in ceremony.
BJP claims claims Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be attending the event to be held at Azad Maidan in Mumbai.
Quoting its sources, PTI reports that Devendra Fadnavis, who has served as the chief minister twice before, is the front-runner for the role.
Shinde, with regard to rumors about his health, clarified, “I was in my village to rest. I am fine now.”
He also reiterated that there were no differences among the Mahayuti allies. “We will fulfill people’s aspirations.
There are no ifs and buts. More than what we want, people’s aspirations are more important,” he stressed.
Shinde arrived in Thane on Sunday afternoon. He reportedly had a decision about government formation with his son and one of his colleagues Deepak Kesarkar.
The BJP legislature party meeting, initially planned for December 2, is likely to be held on December 3 or 4, PTI quoted an BJP leader.
Earlier NCP leader Ajit Pawar and Maharashtra NCP chief Sunil Tatkare had indicated that their party would support chief minister from BJP. Both indicated the NCP and the Shiv Sena would share the positions of the deputy chief ministers.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray criticised the delay in forming the government and called it an “insult” to Maharashtra.
He also questioned why the President’s Rule had not been imposed. “Shouldn’t it have been in place by now. Wouldn’t it have been iwildcasino, had the opposition had numbers, with a decision pending ,” he wrote in a post on X.