Amid speculation about who will be Maharashtra's next chief minister, caretaker CM Eknath Shinde announced on Sunday that the CM candidate from the Mahayuti alliance will be decided the following day. He added that he would fully support the decision, as all three allies of the Mahayuti have a strong understanding.
Speaking to ANI, Shinde said, "I am doing good now. I had come here to rest after the hectic election schedule... I did not take any leave during my 2.5 years as the CM. People are still here to meet me. This is why I fell ill."
Emphasizing the people's mandate and his full support for the party leadership, Eknath Shinde stated, "This government will listen to the people... I have already given my unconditional support to the party leadership and I will support their decision. Our government's work in the last 2.5 years will be written in golden letters in history. This is why people have given us a historic mandate and did not give the opposition a chance to elect a leader of the opposition. All three allies of the Mahayuti have a good understanding... The CM candidate will be decided tomorrow."
During his visit to his native village of Dare in Satara district, Shinde further mentioned, according to PTI, that discussions on government formation were ongoing and assured that all decisions would be taken collectively by the three Mahayuti allies — Shiv Sena, BJP, and NCP.
Responding to speculation surrounding his visit, Shinde explained that he frequently visits his village and questioned why there should be any confusion, especially since he had already clarified his stance on the chief minister's post last week.
The Shiv Sena leader had traveled to Dare on Friday amid rumors about dissatisfaction with the formation of the new government. However, after falling ill during his stay, he is expected to return to Mumbai by Sunday evening, according to a close aide.
Addressing rumors that his son, Lok Sabha member Shrikant Shinde, might be the next CM, Eknath Shinde confirmed that discussions are ongoing. "One meeting took place in Delhi last week with (Union minister) Amit Shah, and now the three alliance partners will discuss the details of government formation," he said.
He further added, "The BJP is yet to announce its legislature party leader. We will fulfill people's aspirations. There are no differences amongst us. We will make a decision in the interest of the people. There is no need to repeat my stand."
Former Union minister and BJP leader Raosaheb Danve confirmed on Sunday that the name of Maharashtra's new chief minister has been decided, but official confirmation from senior leaders is still awaited, as per news agency PTI.
State BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule had announced on Saturday that the oath-taking ceremony for the new Mahayuti government will be held on December 5 at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi expected to attend.
While the chief minister's name has not been officially revealed, BJP sources suggest that Devendra Fadnavis, who has previously served twice as chief minister and was deputy CM in the Eknath Shinde-led government, is the likely candidate.
Danve hinted at the frontrunner in an interview with a regional news channel, saying, "Even people know who is going to be the next chief minister of Maharashtra. We are waiting for finalisation of the same person's name by the senior leaders of our party."
Despite ongoing discussions, he added, "We are waiting for official stamping (approval) on the name," suggesting the public already has a good idea of who the next chief minister will be.
Regarding the composition of the state cabinet, Danve stated, "It is the chief minister's prerogative on whom to include in the state cabinet." When asked about caretaker CM Shinde's visit to his village in Satara, Danve clarified that it does not affect the functioning of the state administration.
He explained, "When a chief minister visits his native place, we see pride in it." Danve further drew a comparison, saying, "When Manmohan Singh was the country's prime minister during the previous UPA government, he underwent heart surgery. The administration continued to function."