Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Dec 3: As the preparations for the grand oath-taking ceremony for Maharashtra’s next Chief Minister are in full swing at Azad Maidan in Mumbai without knowing who is to be sworn-in, the sulking Shiv Sena leader and caretaker chief minister Eknath Shinde is learnt to be still engaged in hard bargaining with the BJP over the ministry formation.
Mr Shinde who is unwilling to accept deputy chief minister’s post, is wanting at least home, finance and revenue portfolios for Sena, but is believed to have been rejected by the BJP which wants to keep the home portfolio to itself and finance may go back to Ajit Pawar of the Nationalist Congress Party, who is firmly with the BJP and is almost certain to be re-named deputy chief minister.
While Mr Shinde has publicly said he would not be an obstacle in government formation and that he has left the final decision on the Chief Minister post on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, his repeated absence from Mumbai in the run-up to the big day has sparked a buzz. Days back, the Sena chief was in his hometown Satara. He then said he needed a breather after the tiring election campaign. On Tuesday he suddenly left for Thane and is admitted in a hospital for a check-up. He is attending meetings virtually.
Amid the continuing suspense, Sena leader Deepak Kesarkar has said the Assembly polls were fought under the leadership of Eknath Shinde and it is up to the BJP to maintain his stature. “Our leader has already proven who truly represents the Shiv Sena. Now it is up to Delhi (BJP central leadership) to decide how to maintain his stature. We will not interfere in that decision,” Mr Kesarkar has said.
He also said Mr Shinde was not responsible for the delay. “The BJP’s internal selection process is their matter. Shinde has already conveyed that he will accept their decision.” Mr Kesarkar trashed reports of any discord within the Mahayuti. “Three parties working together require discussions. This is normal. It does not mean anyone is upset. Shinde is not unhappy, and the alliance is firmly united,” he said.
But the BJP ally, Republican Party of India chief and union minister Ramdas Athawale said Mr Shinde was very upset over denial by the BJP leadership to continue him as the chief minister and appealed to him to accept the deputy chief minister’s post to maintain the accord within the “Mahayuti.”
On Tuesday morning, a close association of Mr Shinde Sanjay Sirsat said Mr Shinde would decide by Wednesday if he would be part of the Mahayuti government. The Sena, it is learnt, is pushing for the Home portfolio but the BJP has not accepted the demand.
Leaders of the three parties in BJP-led Mahayuti, which scored a mammoth win in these state polls, are yet to meet Governor CP Radhakrishnan to stake claim to form the government. In fact, BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis, Shiv Sena’s Eknath Shinde and NCP’s Ajit Pawar are in different cities today. While Mr Fadnavis is in Mumbai, Mr Shinde is in Thane and Mr Pawar is in Delhi for what he has termed a personal visit.
The BJP legislature party will meet at Vidhan Bhavan on Wednesday morning during which party MLAs are expected to choose their leader. While Mr Fadnavis is seen as a frontrunner for the Chief Minister’s post, the delay in the BJP announcing its choice for the top post has given room to speculation. The three leaders of Mahayuti are likely to meet after the BJP MLAs’ meeting. A meeting with the Governor is expected tomorrow, on the eve of the swearing-in ceremony.
While the Shiv Sena is yet to decide on the Deputy Chief Minister, the BJP is also tight-lipped about the CM pick. While Devendra Fadnavis appears to be the front-runner, the party has appointed two central observers- Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, to oversee the BJP Legislature Party meeting. Considering that Mr Modi has the habit of springing surprises in selecting the new chief minister as he has done so in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana and many other states, Mr Fadnvis is certain to spend a sleepless night till a final decision is taken on the new chief minister.
“We are going to Mumbai this evening. Nirmala Sitharaman is also coming. We will have a meeting of the BJP’s Legislative Party tomorrow at 11 am,” said Rupani. He further hinted that the decision on the new CM will be made after the meeting and the elected leader may be considered for the CM’s post, given the BJP’s superior number over its ally NCP and Shiv Sena.
“After the Leader (of Legislative Party) is elected, the High Command will be informed of the name. An announcement will then be made.” Rupani added that the BJP high command had discussed with all three allies about the Maharashtra government formation and reiterated that any decision would be taken by keeping Shiv Sena and NCP in confidence.
With the Mahayuti not announcing its Chief Minister choice 10 days after the election results, Shiv Sena (UBT) legislator Aaditya Thackeray has said the delay amounts to insulting Maharashtra. In a Marathi tweet, Mr Thackeray said, “Despite this numerical strength, they have not yet been able to form a government in Maharashtra; Because our state of Maharashtra is not important to them Ignore Maharashtra, continuously insult Maharashtra and keep government formation pending… They have time to do all other things but for Delhi our Maharashtra, our state is not important,” he said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut claimed that Mr Shinde was sulking and throwing tantrums at BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis with the backing of the “superpower in Delhi”, an apparent reference to BJP’s top brass. Talking to reporters in New Delhi, Raut described the delay in the formation of a government in Maharashtra as anarchic.
The oath-taking ceremony for the new Mahayuti government will take place on December 5 evening at Azad Maidan in South Mumbai, said party sources, adding that Mr Modi and other senior NDA leaders will be in attendance.