Mahayuti government tomorrow, Devendra Fadnavis urges Eknath Shinde to join
MAHARASTRA, DEC 4 : Hours after being nominated as Mahayuti’s Chief Minister pick, Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said that he will be sworn in at 5.30 pm tomorrow (December 5) at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan. Speaking to reporters after staking a claim to form a government in Maharashtra, Chief Minister-elect urged Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde to join his Cabinet.
Later in the day, sources confirmed India Today TV that Shinde accepted Fadnavis’s request and will be taking oath as his deputy along with NCP leader Ajit Pawar.
BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis will take charge as Maharashtra Chief Minister for a third term after a consensus was reached at a crucial BJP meeting on Wednesday, ending days of suspense after the Mahayuti alliance stormed back to power in India’s financial capital.
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“Yesterday I met Eknath Shinde and told him that it is the wish of Mahayuti workers that he should be with us in this government. I have full faith that he will be with us… We will fulfil the promises made to the people of Maharashtra,” Fadnavis said after his Raj Bhawan visit.
Furthermore, the senior BJP leader also thanked Eknath Shinde for extending his support for the government formation.
“I am thankful to former Chief Minister Eknath Shinde for extending Shiv Sena’s support through a formal letter, enabling my swearing-in as Chief Minister,” Fadnavis said. “Ajit Pawar has also offered his backing with a letter of support”.
Clarifying the leadership structure, Fadnavis said that the designation of Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister is merely a technical arrangement. “All decisions will be made collectively to ensure good governance for Maharashtra,” he stated.
Apart from the Chief Minister and his deputy, there is a possibility of a few more ministers to take oath tomorrow. “A few more ministers will also take oath along with CM and Deputy CMs,” read the invitation letter accessed by India Today TV.
Addressing a party event after being named the chief ministerial pick, Fadnavis reiterated PM Modi’s ‘ek hai, safe hai’ slogan. It seemed to be a hint that the Mahayuti coalition was united.
At the BJP meeting, Fadnavis’s name for the top job was proposed by Vijay Rupani, who was sent as the party’s observer to Mumbai. The proposal was unanimously seconded by senior BJP leaders like Sudhir Mungantiwar and Pankaja Munde.
The development comes nearly two weeks after the Mahayuti received a massive mandate (230 out of 288 seats) in the Assembly polls. However, the coalition had not been able to decide the contours of the new government after Shinde’s initial insistence on being made the Chief Minister again.
Last week, talks moved forward after Shinde publicly said he wouldn’t be a “hurdle” to government formation and declared that he would abide by the decision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
Fadnavis was largely seen as the chief architect of the BJP’s biggest ever victory in Maharashtra, winning 132 of the 149 seats it contested. The RSS has also been rooting strongly for Fadnavis for the top job in Maharashtra.
The development marks a stunning turnaround for Fadnavis, who has been the BJP’s biggest face in Maximum City in recent years.
FROM 80-HOUR CHIEF MINISTER TO THIRD TERM
In 2014, Devendra Fadnavis became the Chief Minister for the first time at 44, making him the second-youngest after Sharad Pawar. At the time, the BJP was in coalition with the then undivided Shiv Sena.
After the 2019 Assembly polls, as the Shiv Sena walked out of the alliance amid a tussle over rotational chief ministership, the Fadnavis-led BJP joined hands with Ajit Pawar. Fadnavis took oath as the Chief Minister and Ajit Pawar as the Deputy Chief Minister. However, the government lasted for around 80 hours as Ajit Pawar returned to the NCP fold.
Fadnavis was in the reckoning to be the Chief Minister again in 2022 after Eknath Shinde’s rebellion led to the collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. However, then he had to swallow a bitter pill and agreed to be the Deputy Chief Minister under Shinde.
-PTI
