New Delhi: Mumbai witnessed a flurry of political activity on Tuesday evening as senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis met care taker chief minister and Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde at the latter’s Varsha Bungalow. The meeting comes amid heightened suspense and a power tussle over the identity of Maharashtra’s next chief minister, with major decisions expected within the next 24 hours.
The BJP is widely seen as attempting to placate its ally, Eknath Shinde, who is likely to lose the chief minister’s post despite leading the government that secured re-election. The newly elected BJP MLAs are set to meet later tonight under the observation of Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani to elect a legislature party leader, who will then assume the chief minister’s role.
High-stakes meeting raises questions
Speculation favours Fadnavis, a two-time former chief minister, as the frontrunner. Fadnavis is credited with engineering the BJP’s resurgence in Maharashtra by leveraging defections within the Shiv Sena and NCP.
Earlier reports suggested Eknath Shinde would leave Varsha Bungalow to return to his residence in Thane. However, in a surprising twist, Fadnavis arrived at Varsha Bungalow to meet Shinde, adding an unexpected layer of intrigue to the ongoing power-sharing negotiations. The discussions have sparked speculation about whether the BJP will offer Shinde a key portfolio, such as the Home Ministry, to balance power within the coalition government.
Swearing-in ceremony scheduled for December 5
The Mahayuti government’s swearing-in ceremony is scheduled for December 5 at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan. The lead-up to the event has seen a flurry of political manoeuvres. Shinde had been unwell for four days, delaying his engagements, but returned to Mumbai earlier today following a routine medical check-up at a hospital in Thane.
Shinde arrived at Varsha Bungalow to chair a meeting on preparations for Mahaparinirvan Din, observed on December 6 to commemorate Dr BR Ambedkar’s death anniversary. Deputy Chief Minister Fadnavis participated in the meeting virtually via video conferencing. BJP leader Girish Mahajan later visited Varsha Bungalow after discussions with Fadnavis. Mahajan held a half-hour meeting with Shinde, following which he returned to Sagar Bungalow to brief Fadnavis. Shortly after, Fadnavis personally met Shinde at Varsha Bungalow.
