Fadnavis urges Shinde to return from Satara, talks on portfolios likely

Mumbai, Dec 1 (IANS) Amid suspense over the name of the next Maharashtra Chief Minister, BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis spoke to acting Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday over the phone and asked him to return to Mumbai from Satara, a party source said on Sunday.  

Acting CM Shinde is expected to reach Thane residence by evening from Satara where he spent two days, said a party source, adding that discussions on the distribution of Cabinet berths among Mahayuti partners may take place.

Talks on picking a new convenor of Mahayuti and identifying the name of the new Speaker are also expected to be on the agenda, said the source.

Fadnavis, who is considered a front-runner to replace Shinde as CM, has communicated with the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) chief at a time when the alliance partners are discussing the contours of the next government while delaying the announcement of the name of the new Chief Minister.

The source said the Shiv Sena wants to bargain hard over Cabinet portfolios and Shinde’s sudden visit to his native village Dare in Satara on Friday was perceived as a reflection of his unhappiness over the discussions on government formation and selection of the new CM.

With just four days to go for the new CM to take the oath, Shinde’s return to Thane is likely to speed up discussions on the distribution of portfolios among Mahayuti partners – BJP, Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar), said sources.

The BJP emerged as the single largest party winning a record 132 seats, Shiv Sena 57 and NCP 41 in the 288-member Assembly. Although Mahayuti contested the recently held Assembly elections under the leadership of CM Shinde, the BJP has already indicated that it is not ready to leave the CM’s post to Shinde.

The BJP is reported to have also refused to accommodate Shinde’s son Shrikant as a deputy chief minister in the new government.

The swearing-in of the 31st Maharashtra Chief Minister will be held on December 5 at 5 pm at the historic Azad Maidan near Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in south Mumbai. The event is expected to be attended by many National BJP leaders.

Even one week after the declaration of the Maharashtra Assembly election results, Mahayuti has not shared details of the next government.

Although BJP is yet to elect Fadnavis as the legislature party group leader formally, party sources hinted that the former Deputy CM will take oath as the chief minister for the third time.

Fadnavis had headed the BJP-led government between 2014 and 2019 and he later became chief minister with Ajit Pawar as deputy chief minister for 80 hours as the government was not formed after Ajit Pawar resigned.

BJP sources have ruled out the names of Union Minister Murlidhar Mohol, Chandrakant Patil, and Vinod Tawde as the CM candidates, reiterating that Fadnavis will be the party’s natural choice.