Maharashtra caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has dubbed the meeting of Mahayuti leaders with Union Home Minister Amit Shah as “good and positive”, adding that there will be another meeting of Mahayuti in Mumbai, which is expected to decide who will be the chief minister of the state.

Eknath Shinde, BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, NCP chief Ajit Pawar and other Mahayuti leaders met Union Home Minister Shah and BJP national president JP Nadda in Delhi on Thursday night and deliberated on the formation of the new government in Maharashtra amid indications that Fadnavis is the frontrunner in the race for the post of state chief minister.

The Maharashtra Assembly results were declared on November 23, but the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance has yet to decide on the chief minister of the state. In the elections, the BJP emerged as the largest party, winning 132 seats in the 280-member Assembly, while its allies – the Shiv Sena, led by Eknath Shinde, and the NCP, led by Ajit Pawar – secured 57 and 41 seats, respectively.

After meeting with Shah and Nadda, Shinde said, “The meeting was good and positive. This was the first meeting. We had a discussion with Amit Shah and JP Nadda.There will be another meeting of the Mahayuti. In this meeting, a decision will be taken about who will be the Chief Minister. The meeting will be held in Mumbai.”

After the meeting, Shinde, Fadnavis and Pawar left the national capital late Thursday night.

In a post on X after the meeting, Fadnavis credited Shah for inspiring and motivating the party workers during the recently concluded Maharashtra Assembly elections.

“Expressed my gratitude to Union Minister Amitbhai Shah, for his huge support on the battlefield during the important Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha Elections 2024 and for the way he greatly inspired and motivated the karyakartas. On this occasion, our BJP National President JP Nadda ji, Eknath Shinde ji, Ajitdada Pawar, #MahaYuti leaders, and colleagues were present too, in New Delhi,” the BJP leader said in a post on X.

In another post on X, Fadnavis said, “Congratulated and felicitated our BJP National President JP Nadda ji for the historic unprecedented success of BJP in Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha Election 2024. Eknath Shinde ji too was present on this occasion in New Delhi.”

Earlier, the BJP leader asserted that the Mahayuti alliance had no internal differences and that a decision on the Chief Minister would be made soon after consulting the leaders.

On Wednesday, caretaker Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde said he had left the final decision on the CM’s post to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.