As the suspense over the Maharashtra Chief Minister grows, Shiv Sena MLA and party spokesperson Sanjay Pandurang Shirsat said that the name will be announced by November 30. Mahayuti alliance recorded a thumping win in the recently concluded Maharashtra assembly elections with BJP winning 132 seats making it the single largest party. However, no name has been declared as of now with Devendra Fadnavis of BJP being the frontrunner of the CM post. Shiv Sena MLAs including Eknath Shinde are reportedly upset with BJP pushing its candidate as the next chief minister while claiming no such pre-poll agreement was done amid the Mahayuti alliance.
Shirsat, Aurangabad West MLA, talking to ABP News stated that the name of the next chief minister of Maharashtra will be clear by Saturday and this time around multiple new faces will be inducted in the Maharashtra cabinet, hinting at a possible major shuffle. He also said that while it is his personal desire of Eknath Shinde to remain as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, whatever name is proposed by the Mahayuti alliance, they will accept it.
Meanwhile, in Delhi, Shiv Sena MPs are rallying for their party chief, as they have sought time to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi today. The development comes after Shinde and Fadnavis both were in Delhi last evening, which is being termed only as a social call as both leaders attended the Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla's daughter's wedding.
In another development, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday urged his supporters not to gather at his official residence, 'Varsha,' in south Mumbai to show their support for his continuation as chief minister.
“After the great victory of the Mahayuti alliance, our government will be formed once again in the state. As a grand alliance, we contested the election together and remain united today,” Shinde said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
He expressed gratitude for the support but appealed to his followers to refrain from assembling in his favour.
“Out of love for me, some people have called for a gathering in Mumbai. I am deeply grateful for your affection. But I appeal that no one should congregate in my support in such a manner," Shinde said.