Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde with Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar during a press conference.
Credit: PTI Photo
Mumbai: Amid a tussle for the post of Chief Minister, the government formation has been delayed in Maharashtra with the drama shifting to New Delhi for a final call by BJP as its ally Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena is asking that the 'Bihar pattern' be followed in Maharashtra too. Meanwhile, the NCP too remains hopeful for Ajit Pawar as the CM.
The RSS has backed BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis, who coordinated with the ideological fountain and scripted a never-seen-before victory in Maharashtra for the Maha Yuti-NDA ruling alliance seeking over two-third majority and decimating the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi-INDIA Bloc.
In the current set-up, Shinde (60) is the Chief Minister while Fadnavis (54) and Pawar (65) are Deputy Chief Ministers.
The tenure of the outgoing Maharashtra Legislative Assembly ends on Tuesday, however, the threat of President’s Rule has been ruled out.
“While it is almost certain that the CM-and-two-Deputy CMs formula would be maintained in the new scheme of things. As far as the power-sharing formula is concerned, BJP will get 12 ministers while Shiv Sena and NCP will get 12 and 10 berths, respectively. The portfolio allocation is also a critical issue,” sources told the DH on Monday evening.
However, the bone of contention is the post of CM.
During the day, several Shiv Sena leaders - Uday Samant, Dada Bhuse, Deepak Kesarkar and Dr Neelam Gore - met Fadnavis.
Shinde’s confidante and Thane MP Naresh Mhaske said that the BJP should continue the Bihar pattern. “We feel Shinde should be the CM, just like in Bihar where BJP did not look at the numbers but still made JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar the CM,” he said, however, added that the leadership of three parties would take a call.
The Shiv Sena is also okay with a two-and-a-half-year tenure for Shinde as he was the face of elections and architect of many welfare schemes that supposedly worked for the Maha Yuti combine.
However, senior BJP leaders - former union minister Raosaheb Patil-Danve and Pravin Darekar - rejected the Shiv Sena spiel.
"People have given mandate to Devendra Fadnavis. The people of Maharashtra stood behind Prime Minister Narendra Modi," said Darekar.
Danve said that Nitish Kumar was declared as the CM candidate before the polls with assurance that he would be in top job irrespective of the outcome.
Pawar, however, was guarded in his comments.
“We will decide the formula for the CM post by sitting together. The BJP is the largest, they must have decided something," Pawar said, adding: “No formula was discussed (before the polling).”
"There are news reports that the government should be formed before November 27 or else there will be President's rule, but there's nothing like that,” said Pawar, the seniormost among the three contenders.
According to sources, NCP is backing Fadnavis over Shinde though its leaders still remain hopeful of Pawar being considered for the top job too.
Fadnavis, Shinde and Pawar are expected to meet the BJP high-command around midnight to sort out the issue and proceed accordingly.
“While for Shiv Sena and NCP, they legislature parties have authorised Shinde and Pawar, respectively to take final decisions. However, for the BJP, the Parliamentary board would meet which would be followed by the legislature party meeting. Then the three parties would meet and make a declaration,” the sources said.
In a related development, senior BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi, where “various issues” were discussed.