Chicago November 29, 2024
The formation of Maharashtra’s new government remains uncertain after a key meeting of the Mahayuti alliance was unexpectedly canceled. The meeting, which was set for Friday, was called off when caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde suddenly left for his village in Satara, delaying important discussions on who will get which government posts.
Shinde, along with BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis and NCP’s Ajit Pawar, had been in Delhi earlier for talks with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP President JP Nadda. These discussions were focused on forming a power-sharing agreement after the BJP-led alliance won a majority in the recent Maharashtra assembly elections.
The BJP, which secured 132 seats, has not yet held its legislature party meeting to choose its new Chief Minister, though Fadnavis is expected to take on the role. Shinde’s Shiv Sena party, with 57 seats, and Ajit Pawar’s NCP, with 41 seats, are mostly seeking to secure top cabinet positions rather than the Chief Minister’s post, which seems unlikely for them.
Sources say that the new government may have two deputy chief ministers to represent the alliance’s three major parties. The BJP plans to have around 20 ministers, with the Shiv Sena likely to get a larger share of cabinet positions than the NCP. Despite initial reluctance, Shinde has reportedly agreed to take on the home portfolio instead of a deputy chief minister role. His son, Shrikant Shinde, confirmed that his father is committed to the alliance, putting collective governance above personal ambitions.
