Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde on Tuesday resigned as Maharashtra Chief Minister following the results of the assembly elections. Shinde submitted his resignation to Governor CP Radhakrishnan at Raj Bhavan in Mumbai. The Governor asked Shinde to serve as caretaker CM till the new chief minister is sworn in.
Deputy Chief Ministers Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis also reached the Governor’s office today morning to tender their resignation.
Maharashtra assembly term ends today
Notably, the term of the Maharashtra assembly ends today (November 26).
Deepak Kesarkar, who served as a minister in the Eknath Shinde cabinet, told reporters, "The chief minister has tendered his resignation. The governor has asked him to act as a caretaker chief minister."
To a question, Kesarkar said the new government will be sworn in at the earliest.
The Mahayuti alliance secured 232 out of the 288 assembly seats, with the BJP emerging as the single-largest party, winning 132 seats, while its allies Shiv Sena and NCP emerged victorious on 57 and 41 seats, respectively. Meanwhile, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), comprising Congress, NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), and Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena, could only win 49 seats.
Suspense over CM continues
The suspense continues over who will become the next Maharashtra Chief Minister, as the alliance partners—Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, Ajit Pawar's NCP, and Devendra Fadnavis's BJP—are yet to reach a consensus.
The BJP, which emerged as the single-largest party in the alliance, has staked a strong claim to the Chief Minister’s post. BJP leaders, especially from the Fadnavis camp, contend that since the BJP has secured the most seats in the recent elections, it is only fitting that Devendra Fadnavis be given the CM's post.
Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena, a key BJP ally, is keen on Shinde continuing in the top post, while several Maharashtra BJP leaders have been rooting for Fadnavis. Fadnavis is considered as the front runner for the post of chief minister, succeeding incumbent Eknath Shinde of the Shiv Sena. Fadnavis is likely to meet Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP President J P Nadda to discuss the modalities of the formation of the next government in Maharashtra.
The Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP has reportedly agreed to support Fadnavis for the Chief Minister position. This decision was made during a crucial meeting held on Sunday, where Ajit Pawar and his entire legislative team expressed their backing for Fadnavis as the next CM.
Also Read: Who will be next Maharashtra CM? No clarity yet as assembly term ends today
