Mahayuti leaders return after ‘positive’ Delhi meet, Chief Minister suspense on

Maharashtra caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis.

And NCP leader Ajit Pawar met Union Home Minister Amit Shah at his residence in Delhi on Thursday night in an effort to end the deadlock over who would assume the state’s top post following the NDA’s landslide victory in the Assembly elections. However, no decision was reached during the two-hour meeting that ended at midnight.

Sources told India Today TV that Thursday’s meeting primarily revolved around cabinet berth allocations. BJP President JP Nadda was also a part of the meeting, which Shinde described as good and positive and said another meeting would happen in Mumbai. Fadnavis, on the other hand, expressed his gratitude to Amit Shah for inspiring BJP workers, which helped in the NDA’s stunning performance in Maharashtra.

“Expressed my gratitude to Union Minister Amitbhai Shah for his huge support on the battlefield during the important Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha Elections 2024 and for the way he greatly inspired and motivated the karyakartas (party workers). On this occasion, our BJP National President JP Nadda ji, Eknath Shinde ji, Ajit Pawar, Mahayuti leaders, colleagues were present too, in Delhi,” Fadnavis tweeted.

The Mahayuti alliance, comprising the BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar’s NCP, secured a historic win on November 23, clinching 230 of the 288 seats in the Assembly.

The BJP emerged as the largest party with a record 132 seats, while the Shiv Sena and NCP secured 57 and 41 seats, respectively. Despite the sweeping mandate, the allies have struggled to finalise a consensus on the next Chief Minister.

CHIEF MINISTER SWEARING-IN ON DECEMBER 2 or 5: SOURCES
The BJP is looking to accommodate around 20 ministers, with the Sena expected to receive a larger share than the NCP. Specific portfolios were not discussed during the meeting, but another round of talks is scheduled to take place via phone on Friday, sources said.

Shinde is expected to remain in Delhi for further discussions, while Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar have returned to Mumbai, with video surfacing showing the leaders reaching the Delhi airport following the meeting. The swearing-in ceremony is likely to take place on December 2 or December 5, preceded by a BJP legislative party meeting, sources added.

“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 made about the chief ministerial face. The meeting will be held in Mumbai,” Shinde said after the meeting.

Shinde, who stepped down on Tuesday but continues in his caretaker role, had indicated his readiness to accept the BJP’s decision regarding the leadership.

“I have told PM Modi that I would not be an obstacle. We will go with whatever he decides,” Shinde said at a press conference in Thane on Wednesday. He also assured the Prime Minister of his unwavering support in the formation of the new government.

Speculation is rife that Devendra Fadnavis is poised to return as Chief Minister, given the BJP’s dominant performance in the Assembly polls. Sources also suggested that the new government may adopt a power-sharing arrangement featuring two deputy chief ministers to represent Mahayuti’s three major constituents.

The Opposition, however, used the delay to mock the alliance, with Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole claiming that the BJP’s central leadership pressured Shinde to give up his claim to the chief minister’s post.

Patole added it was suspicious that so much time was being taken to form the next government despite the Mahayuti alliance getting a brute majority.