The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has appointed former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman as the party’s Central Observers for Maharashtra.
Despite the Mahayuti alliance’s landslide victory in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, over a week has passed without the announcement of the next Chief Minister.
On Sunday, Caretaker Chief Minister and Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde stated that the decision on the Chief Minister’s post rests with the BJP, adding that he would fully support the chosen candidate.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena MP from Kalyan, Shrikant Shinde, denied rumors that he would be appointed as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra. On Monday, he took to social media to dismiss the claims, emphasizing that he has no desire for any ministerial position in the state.
“After the election results, the formation of the government has been slightly delayed, and many rumors have surfaced, including one that I am set to become the deputy chief minister. I want to clarify that this is completely baseless and false. There is no truth to it. I was offered a chance to become a minister in the Union Cabinet after the Lok Sabha elections, but I chose to work for my party’s organization, and that remains my focus. I do not seek any position of power,” Shrikant Shinde posted on X.
The Maharashtra Legislative Assembly election results, declared on November 23, saw the Mahayuti alliance securing 230 of the 288 seats. However, the alliance has not yet finalized its Chief Ministerial candidate.
In the election, the BJP won 132 seats, while its allies — Shiv Sena, led by Eknath Shinde, secured 57 seats, and the NCP, led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, won 41 seats.
In contrast, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) suffered a significant setback, with the Shiv Sena (UBT), led by Uddhav Thackeray, winning only 20 seats, Congress securing 16, and the NCP(SP), led by Sharad Pawar, managing just 10 seats.
(Inputs from ANI)