Maharashtra: Assembly dissolved; Shinde appointed as caretaker CM
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, accompanied by his deputies Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, submitted his resignation as Chief Minister to Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan at Raj Bhavan, as the term of the current Assembly came to an end today.
The Governor accepted Shinde’s resignation and asked that he serve as the ‘caretaker’ Chief Minister until a new cabinet is sworn in.
In the recently held Assembly polls, the MahaYuti coalition, comprising the BJP, the Shinde-led Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar’s NCP, secured a commanding 230 seats in the 288-member Assembly. However, deliberations are ongoing within the alliance to determine who will occupy the Chief Minister’s office.
The prolonged decision-making process has fuelled speculation about potential power-sharing agreements among the alliance partners. While Shinde’s supporters argue that he deserves another term as Chief Minister, sections within the BJP are pushing for Fadnavis to take charge. Ajit Pawar’s NCP, a crucial ally in the MahaYuti, is reportedly lobbying for key cabinet portfolios.
In a late night post on X on Tuesday, Shinde appealed to his party workers to not gather in Mumbai in large numbers to show their support to him. This comes amid growing pressure by the Shiv Sena to make Shinde the chief minister again.
While speculations are rife about the formula and the probable Chief Minister face, decision will be made only after the intervention of the BJP-appointed Central observer, BJP sources said.
