New Delhi: Following the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led coalition’s landslide victory in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, a power struggle has erupted over the coveted Chief Minister’s post. While senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, widely considered a frontrunner to take the charge, a push by Eknath Shinde’s faction to retain the Chief Ministership is making it tough for him to take the charge.
Shinde’s supporters are actively lobbying for him to continue as Chief Minister, echoing the Bihar model where the Chief Minister’s position was given to a smaller alliance partner. Prayers and public displays of support for Shinde were organised across Maharashtra by the supporters of Shinde.
The “Bihar Model” argument in Maharashtra politics
The call for a “Bihar model” arrangement, where a smaller party leads the government despite the BJP’s larger share was suggested by the Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske. “We feel Shinde should be the chief minister, just like in Bihar where BJP did not look at the numbers but still made JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar the CM. Senior leaders of the Mahayuti (in Maharashtra) will ultimately take a decision,” Mhaske said while speaking to the reporters in Mumbai on Monday.
He compared the situation to the leadership dynamics in Haryana, where the BJP contested the assembly elections recently under Nayab Singh Saini’s leadership. “The election in Maharashtra was contested under the leadership of Shinde, Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar. This shows that the alliance’s leadership should be respected,” he added.
Shinde’s appeal for Calm amid CM post uncertainty
To quell potential unrest over the CM post in the financial capital of the country, Shinde himself took to X (formerly Twitter) urging his supporters to refrain from gathering in Mumbai. While acknowledging their love and support, he appealed for calm, emphasizing the united front of the Mahayuti alliance.
“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 are still together today,” Shinde posted on X.
“Out of love for me, some people have appealed to everyone to gather together and come to Mumbai. I am deeply grateful for your love. But I appeal that no one should come together in my support in such a manner,” Shinde said.
Despite securing a resounding majority of 230 seats in the 288-member assembly, the BJP-led Mahayuti coalition remains divided on the Chief Minister’s appointment. While the Shinde-led Shiv Sena is pushing for the continuation of Shinde, citing his significant role in the election campaign, BJP leaders have openly stated their preference for Fadnavis, leaving little room for compromise. NCP leader Ajit Pawar has declared support for Fadnavis as the chief minister of the state.
