Maharashtra meet ends without decision on CM

Mahayuti leaders hold discussions with Amit Shah, Nadda late into night; another meeting likely today; no decision on portfolio allocation; Shinde holds meeting of his party’s parliamentarians in the capital

In an effort to end the deadlock over the next Chief Minister of Maharashtra, BJP national president J.P. Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a marathon meeting with Mahayuti leaders, including caretaker CM Eknath Shinde and his deputies Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar. The meeting at Mr. Shah’s residence in New Delhi lasted over two hours, with leaders exiting around midnight.

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Mr. Shinde will stay back in Delhi. Another meeting may happen on Friday (November 29, 2024), top sources said. Amid speculations that the formula of one CM and two Deputy CMs will continue, and that the BJP might keep the CM’s position to itself for all five years, sources further told The Hindu that the meeting was inconclusive.

None of the three top Maharashtra leaders spoke with the media after the meeting. Mr. Shinde held a meeting of his party’s parliamentarians in Delhi thereafter.

Asked if there was any decision on portfolio allocation and accommodation in the Central government, top sources said nothing had been decided.

Mr. Pawar and Mr. Fadnavis reached the national capital in the morning and early evening respectively. Mr. Shinde arrived around 9 p.m. after consultations with close aides, including Sena leader Dada Bhuse, at his official residence, Varsha, in Mumbai.

Mr. Pawar’s loyalists, NCP’s State president Sunil Tatkare and national working president Praful Patel, were also present at the meeting. Earlier in the day, Mr. Nadda reportedly had a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

According to reports, Mr. Shinde met the top BJP leaders before Mr. Pawar and Mr. Fadnavis joined the meeting.

Speculation over the State’s top political post has been rife, with Mr. Shinde declaring his support for the decision taken by Mr. Modi and Mr. Shah on the issue. “Whatever decision the BJP takes regarding the Chief Minister’s position, the Shiv Sena will fully support it. I spoke to Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, telling them not to let any consideration for me affect their decision,” Mr. Shinde had said on Wednesday.

Leaders from Mr. Shinde’s Sena faction have been insisting that Mr. Shinde should retain the CM post.

The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance secured a decisive mandate in the recent Maharashtra Assembly election, winning 230 out of 288 seats. The BJP emerged as the dominant partner with 132 seats, while Mr. Shinde’s Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP won 57 and 41 seats respectively. The Congress-led MVA suffered a significant setback, with the Congress winning only 16 seats, Sharad Pawar’s NCP(SP) securing 10, and Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) managing 20.

Despite their landslide victory, the ruling alliance has faced criticism from the Opposition for the delay in naming a Chief Minister. The Opposition has also accused the Election Commission (EC) of tampering with voter data, pointing to a 7.83% increase in voter turnout after official polling hours. According to the EC, voter turnout rose from 58.22% at 5 p.m. on November 20, 2024, to 65.02% by 11.30 p.m. and finally to 66.05% on November 21, 2024, sparking allegations of irregularities.

Published - November 29, 2024 01:01 am IST