Shiv Sena MPs from the Eknath Shinde faction met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Parliament on Wednesday amid the ongoing suspense over the selection of the nomination of next chief minister of Maharashtra following the victory of the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance in the recently concluded assembly elections.
Even as the Maharashtra assembly poll results were declared on November 23, the Mahayuti alliance, which has emerged victorious with absolute majority, is yet to decide on the choice of the next chief minister for the state. The BJP emerged as the single largest party winning 132 seats in the 280-member Maharashtra Assembly while allies, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP secured 57 and 41 seats, respectively.
After meeting the home minister, Shiv Sena MP Prataprao Jadhav said they would accept the decision made by the leaders of the Mahayuti alliance, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Home Minister Amit Shah. Speaking to a news agency, he said he met Shah to express gratitude for his contribution during the Maharashtra Assembly polls.
“Eknath Shinde had instructed me to meet the Union Home Minister, thank him, and express gratitude for the time he devoted to the Mahayuti during the Maharashtra elections. Wherever he held rallies, all Mahayuti candidates won by significant margins. So, Shiv Sena MPs and I, in my capacity as the MoS, met him and conveyed our thanks,” he said.
He clarified that there were no discussions regarding the formation of the government.
“Eknath Shinde, Devendra Fadnavis, and Ajit Pawar are capable leaders. Everyone naturally feels that a leader from their party should hold the top post, and we also had similar expectations. However, the decision will be taken by the leaders of Mahayuti, the Prime Minister, and the Home Minister, and it will be accepted by all within Mahayuti,” Jadhav added.
Another party MP, Naresh Mhaske, said Eknath Shinde had already announced that the decision taken by Prime Minister Modi would be acceptable to them. “I greeted him, and there was no discussion about the Maharashtra chief minister’s post. Maharashtra’s caretaker CM and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde has already clarified in a press conference that whatever decision PM Modi makes regarding the CM post will be acceptable to us,” Mhaske said.
Today, Mhaske left in the middle of the ongoing Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) meeting on the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024 to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
According to sources, the BJP high command is set to meet Mahayuti leaders, including Praful Patel, Ajit Pawar, Devendra Fadnavis, and Eknath Shinde, in the national capital on Thursday.