New Delhi:
The result of the 2024 Maharashtra election settled – the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance has all but sealed a thumping victory over the Congress’ Maha Vikas Aghadi combine – the focus is now on who will succeed Eknath Shinde as Chief Minister.
Speaking to reporters Saturday evening, the BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis – a two-time holder of that post (even if the second was a matter of days only) – offered some insight into that vexed query, declaring a decision had already been taken. Alliance leaders, he said, had been instructed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah that the Chief Minister will be selected after a consultation between all.
“There will be no dispute about who will be the Chief Minister… it was decided from day one that, after the election, the leaders of the three parties will sit together and decide this,” he stressed.
“The decision will be acceptable to everyone, there is no dispute on this,” he said, aware, no doubt, that supporters of chief ministerial hopefuls have already begun jockeying for their favourites.
Mr Fadnavis’ toe-the-party line response echoed that made by Mr Shinde, the outgoing Chief Minister, who was installed in the top post after leading the 2022 rebellion in the Shiv Sena. Mr Shinde led over 40 Sena MLAs into the BJP’s fold in 2022, a move that forced undivided Sena boss Uddhav Thackeray to step down as Chief Minister and his MVA government to fall.
“Let the final results come… the same way as we fought elections together, all three parties will sit together and take a decision,” Mr Shinde, who defended his Kopri-Pachpakhadi seat, had said.
Who will be the next Chief Minister? On paper it will be a straight fight between Mr Fadnavis and Mr Shinde. The BJP is set for its best ever showing in a Maharashtra Assembly election but will, most likely, fall agonisingly short of the 145-seat majority mark without the Shinde Sena’s support.
Eknath Shinde will be aware of this fact, and that it signals a replay of 2019.
Five years ago, Uddhav Thackeray broke ties with the BJP after being denied, he felt, a rotational chief ministerial formula. The undivided Sena won only 56 seats to the BJP’s 105 but then, as now, the saffron party needed its ideological partner to get over the finishing line.
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