NEW DELHI: Devendra Fadnavis of the BJP emerged a clear leader in the race for the Maharashtra chief ministership this evening as the ruling National Democratic Alliance partners assembled in Delhi to finalise government formation.
Top NDA sources said that the new state government would be sworn in by December 2 and Fadnavis was in all likelihood set to return as the CM. A formal announcement would happen after the BJP sends central observers to Mumbai for a legislative party meeting where the MLAs would need to elect their leader. All three NDA partners Ajit Pawar of the NCP, Eknath Shinde of the Shiv Sena and expectedly Fadnavis of the BJP would then go to the state Governor with letters of support to the CM-designate and stake claim.
Finer details of the Maharashtra Cabinet formation who will be the CM; which party will get how many ministries; and who will get which portfolios were discussed at the meeting of state NDA leaders at the residence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah here. The meeting lasted two hours and ended around midnight.
Pawar, Shinde, Fadnavis and BJP chief JP Nadda were at the meeting. Ahead of the parleys, NCP sources told this correspondent that Fadnavis’ election as the Maharashtra CM was a given because the BJP had the highest mandate in the state and the NCP had backed Fadnavis.
“The BJP has 132 MLAs of its own. It also has the support of five Independents. This takes the BJP numbers to 137 in the 288-member Assembly where 145 is the simple majority. So the BJP is short of just eight MLAs. It does not even require both the allies to stay in power,” said a senior NCP leader, pointing to the NCP’s 41 MLAs and the Shiv Sena’s 57.
The number game in the BJP’s favour is the key factor behind tilting the chief ministership equation in its favour and away from Shiv Sena’s Shinde, the outgoing and current caretaker CM.
The NDA sources said when Shinde became the CM in 2022, he had quit the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition and joined the BJP, which was then in the opposition in Maharashtra. Shinde then had an upper hand and was honoured. “Today the situation is different. The BJP
has a near-full mandate on its own and every right to have its CM,” said Mahayuti sources explaining why Fadnavis was the frontrunner in CM race.
This, the sources said, explained why Shinde publicly announced yesterday he would abide by PM Modi and Shah’s decision in the matter. Shrikant Shinde, the caretaker CM’s son, today said he was proud of his father who prioritised coalition dharma over personal ambitions.
Further, though NDA leaders said Shah would most likely offer the Mahayuti allies the same power-sharing formula as existed in the outgoing Assembly — one CM and two Deputy CMs (from the NCP and the Shiv Sena each), Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Shirsat on Thursday made a statement saying Shinde was unlikely to be the Deputy CM.
“He will be a part of the state Cabinet. He (Shinde) is unlikely to be the Deputy CM. It does not fit a person who has been the CM to serve as the Deputy CM,” Shirsat said even though Fadnavis is a prime example of someone who went from being the Maharashtra CM (2014 to 2019) to the Deputy CM under Shinde.
While the outgoing Cabinet saw the BJP, NCP and the Shiv Sena share 10 berths each (including the CM and two deputies), the new formula could change with the BJP keeping most ministries.
The Maharashtra Cabinet can have 43 ministers, including the CM and his deputies. NCP chief Ajit Pawar is learnt to be batting for the Finance portfolio. If he secures this berth, he will become the Maharashtra Finance Minister for the 11th time, the highest ever.