Mumbai: In Maharashtra, uncertainty over the formation of a new government is still growing. An important meeting of the Mahayuti coalition has been cancelled that was to be held earlier Friday due to preoccupations of Maharashtra’s Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who went to his home town. This has created apprehension in the minds of Shiv Sena leaders, and Sanjay Shirsat has speculated a major decision announcement by CM by this evening. Shirsat added that the Shinde saw it fit to consult his ancestry whenever he encounters significant choices.
This comes over one week after the announcement of the outcome of the just-concluded assembly elections, thus putting into suspense the formation of the new government. Information inside the Shiv Sena indicated that this crucial meeting was shifting to Sunday in Mumbai. At the same time, BJP leaders are preparing to wait for the arrival of observers from the center for a legislative party meeting.
Eknath Shinde held a meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Thursday night to talk about the new government formation. He said that the talks were positive. Shinde described more talks for Friday in Mumbai as auspicious. But according to sources of the BJP political party later on in the evening, they said no meetings of the Mahayuti alliance were to take place on the same day. The BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP faction led by Ajit Pawar had held a joint meeting with Shah and JP Nadda in Delhi to decide on the appointment of the Council of Ministers.
Internal dissent has now emerged in the Shiv Sena in terms of the party’s optimism about Shinde for the new government formation. Some of the party leaders are encouraging him to take the offer of the deputy chief minister, but others are questioning if, having been the chief minister for 2 and a half years, this is not befitting for him. Sanjay Shirsat said that if Shinde does not accept the offer for the Deputy Chief Minister position, then it will probably be offered to another leader from the party.
Shiv Sena’s senior leader Shambhuraj Desai seconded that party workers desire the continuation of Shinde in a dominant place in the new government. This assertion was followed by Samant, who said that Shinde is not unhappy and has just returned to his village for health issues. Samant also said that if the physical assembly-style meeting was not possible, then discussions could happen through video conference.
The BJP got 132 seats in the just-concluded Maharashtra assembly elections, followed by Shiv Sena, which got 57, and the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction), which got 41. There is expected to be a swearing-in ceremony of the new government next week; however, due to the conflict over the formation of the new government and Shinde standing in the position of deputy prime minister, this is being frustrated. The Mahayuti alliance is to meet on Sunday, and key decisions about the government could be made over this meeting.
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