Mahayuti leaders to hold crucial Delhi meet today to decide fate of next Maharashtra government

The Mahayuti alliance is all set to take a decision over the next Maharashtra government and Chief Minister on Thursday, said former CM Eknath Shinde at a press conference. He further noted that the three allied parties - the Shiv Sena Shinde, NCP Ajit Pawar, and BJP- will be meeting in the national capital today, to discuss the matter.

"There should be no doubts on your minds that the Shiv Sena supports whatever the BJP decides, tomorrow we will decide on the government formation with Amit Shah in Delhi," the caretaker CM said while addressing the conference at his home in Thane.

After days of political suspense, Eknath Shinde on Wednesday seemingly cleared the path for Devendra Fadnavis to become the next leader of the state. Despite the Maharashtra BJP continuing to push for Devendra Fadnavis, the alliance has delayed a formal announcement on the CM choice, seeking Shinde’s buy-in to maintain coalition harmony.


Also Read: Eknath Shinde wants his son Shrikant to be Maha Deputy CM? Here's what's buzzing

Speaking to the media, Shinde said, “I made a phone call to PM Modi and HM Amit Shah yesterday and told them that there will be no problem in forming the government because of me.”

Fadnavis, already in Delhi ahead of the coalition meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, noted that Shinde's comments had resolved any concerns among Mahayuti allies. He said, “The answer to this will be given soon. All senior members of the three parties of Mahayuti will together take the decision on this.”

While Shinde asserted that he harbours no ambitions for the Chief Minister's role, he highlighted the achievements of his brief tenure. “My tenure was just 2.5 years, but I think the work done by my government is of 10 years. All the decisions taken by the Mahayuti government were historic,” Shinde said.

He also invoked his humble origins, stating, “I am a farmer's son and I come from a poor family. For me, CM stands for common man, not Chief Minister. People from rich families can never understand the pain of the common man.” Shinde credited initiatives such as the Ladaki Bahin Yojna for contributing to the coalition's election success, calling the “Ladka Bhai” tag more important to him than any formal title.

Sena’s Demand for Leadership and Internal Challenges

Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction has been advocating for a second term for Shinde as CM, citing his leadership during the Mahayuti’s recent election success. Party members have referenced the “Bihar model,” where Nitish Kumar retained leadership despite BJP's strength.

However, the entry of Ajit Pawar’s NCP into the Mahayuti has weakened the Shiv Sena's bargaining position. Sena leader Ramdas Kadam admitted, “Because of NCP, Sena's bargaining power to claim the CM's post has reduced.

Coalition Model to Continue

Ajit Pawar confirmed that discussions in Delhi would focus on continuing the existing power-sharing model. “All three of us (Devendra Fadnavis, Eknath Shinde, and Ajit Pawar) are coming to Delhi tomorrow. Further discussions on the formation of the government with a CM and two deputy CMs will be held,” Pawar said. This arrangement, with Fadnavis as CM and Shinde and Pawar as deputies, reflects the BJP’s growing influence in the coalition.

Meanwhile, Shinde met with Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan on Tuesday morning and submitted his resignation following the results of the state assembly elections. The Governor requested that Shinde continue in his role as caretaker chief minister until a new one is sworn in.

Although the Mahayuti alliance secured a decisive victory with 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly, the ruling coalition has yet to reach a consensus on who should be the next chief minister. The BJP logged the highest vote share of 26.77 per cent in the Maharashtra assembly elections, winning 132 out of 149 seats it had contested and garnering 17,293,650 votes, as per ECI data. The BJP's 132-seat haul marked a hat-trick of crossing the 100-seat mark in assembly elections.

(With agency inputs)