Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Dec 1: Even while insisting that the process for the formation of the new ministry in Maharashtra is progressing smoothly, a close aide of the caretaker chief minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday said the Shiv Sena leader would take a “major decision” in a day or two on his political future.
The caretaker chief minister who was believed to be unhappy over the BJP insisting on chief ministerial post offering him and the Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar two posts of deputy chief minister, is away in his native village Dare in Satara district.
While reports said he went to his native village for rest after feeling exhausted over hectic electioneering schedule, his party colleagues said he always retired to his native village whenever he needed time to reflect his next political move. “In my opinion, whenever Eknath Shinde feels the need for time to reflect, he goes to his native village. By tomorrow evening, he will make a major decision. It could be a political decision… Everything will be clear by Monday evening,” Sena leader Sanjay Shirsat said on Sunday.
On his arrival in Mumbai from Delhi after talks with the BJP central leadership where it was made clear to him that the next chief minister would be from the BJP ranks, Mr Shinde had cancelled all his meetings and headed to his native village. Though he told the media persons in Mumbai that the new chief minister would have the full support of his party, he was believed to have told the central leaders that he would prefer to stay away from the new government than accepting the post of deputy chief minister.
Talking to media persons in his native village on Sunday, Mr Shinde said the BJP legislature party was expected to meet in Mumbai on Monday where it would decide on the choice of the leader who would take oath as the new chief minister. The BJP state unit president Chandrasekhar Bawankule had unilaterally announced on Saturday that the swearing-in ceremony of the new ministry would be held on December 5 and it would be attended by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Reiterating his support to the new chief minister, Mr Shinde said he stood by the choice of Mr Modi and the union home minister Amit Shah on the new chief minister. He also denied that his sudden decision to visit his native village cancelling the meetings of the “Mahayuti” leaders to discuss the formation of the new government and the Shiv Sena legislature party created any political confusion. “I have already made my stand clear. The decision taken by the BJP leadership will be acceptable to me and the Shiv Sena,” Mr Shinde said.
Shinde had announced earlier this week that he had conveyed to Mr Modi and Amit Shah that he would not be an obstacle in the government formation in the state and he would whole-heartedly accept the decisions by the BJP top brass like the BJP workers and leaders do.
BJP leader Raosaheb Danve on Sunday said the name of Maharashtra’s new chief minister has been finalised and a mere confirmation was awaited from the party’s top leadership. “The people of Maharashtra know who will be the next CM,” former Union minister Danve said without taking any name. Even though no formal announcement has been made in regards to CM’s name, BJP sources indicated that Devendra Fadnavis was the frontrunner for the top post.
Mr Shinde, who has been recuperating from a brief illness, dismissed rumours of dissatisfaction over government formation. “Why should there be any confusion? I always come to my village. Our responsibility has grown due to the massive mandate given by the people,” he added. Mr Shinde also said he comes to his village regularly and wondered why should there be any confusion (over his visit) when he cleared his stand on the CM’s post last week.
Mr Shinde said the talks were underway on government formation and all decisions would be taken through a consensus by the three Mahayuti allies – Shiv Sena, BJP and NCP. He said he fell ill due to an exhaustive election schedule. He confirmed his support for the party’s decision on the next chief minister which would be named on Monday. He asserted that there were no differences among Mahayuti partners on government formation.
Shinde had a fever and throat infection, his family doctor RM Parte said. “He has been given medicines and put on IV (intra-venous therapy for medication). He will feel better in two days. He is leaving for Mumbai on Sunday,” Dr Parte said.
Eknath Shinde had headed to his native village Dare in the Satara district on Friday amid speculations that he was unhappy with the way the new government was shaping up. He was checked on by a team of doctors after he developed a high fever on Saturday.
The delay in announcing the Chief Minister pick has, meanwhile, drawn criticism from the Opposition. Aaditya Thackeray, MLA and leader of Sena (UBT), has said the inability to choose a Chief Minister a week after result day was an “insult” to Maharashtra. He has also said announcing the swearing-in date without even staking claim to form the government is “pure anarchy”. Maharashtra, he has said, “seems like no priority” for BJP-led alliance. Mr Thackeray has also said that if the Opposition parties had ended up on the winning side, President Rule would have been imposed in the state by now.
The Sena (UBT) leader also doubled down on his party’s allegations of EVM tampering and termed the poll results “mandate of the ECI.” “To not be able to decide on a chief minister, and form government, for more than a week after result day, is not just an insult to Maharashtra (for taking our state so lightly) but also to the assistance provided by their dearest Election Commission. It seems that rules only apply to the opposition parties, while rules don’t for some special ones. To declare the swearing in date, unilaterally, without even staking claim to form government and show numbers to the Hon’ble Governor, is pure anarchy,” he said in a post on X.