Maharashtra govt formation delayed after Shinde falls ill

The meeting slated for Monday between the MahaYuti alliance partners - the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) - to discuss issues related to the government formation in Maharashtra has been called off after Caretaker Chief Minister and Shiv Sena supremo Eknath Shinde cancelled his day’s programmes as doctors advised him to take rest due to illness.

Meanwhile, NCP President and caretaker Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar left for Delhi as he is likely to meet Home Minister Amit Shah to hold discussions on the formula of distribution of Cabinet berths and allocation of ministries among the BJP, Shiv Sena and the NCP.

Ajit Pawar-led NCP has announced its support for Devendra Fadnavis for the chief ministerial position, while Shinde has said that he will not be a hurdle or a speed-breaker, but he will abide by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision on the CM post.

This is the second time in the last four days MahaYuti’s meeting was cancelled.

Shinde, Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar had planned to meet on Friday to huddle over government formation but it was put on hold after Shinde flew to his native village Dare in Satara district.

Shinde, who is unwell, had returned from his native village Dare in Satara district on Sunday evening, and is taking rest at his Thane residence as per the doctor’s advice.

He had told reporters on Sunday that he and two Deputy CMs would take forward discussion on Monday on the chief minister’s post, distribution of portfolios and party-wise berths in the new Cabinet.

Shinde reiterated that in the last two-and-a-half years, he had worked as the ‘common man’s chief minister,’ saying that the people would like him to be the chief minister again, especially in the wake of MahaYuti’s landslide victory in the November 20 Maharashtra Assembly election.

The stalemate still continues as Shinde remains stuck to his demand for the allocation of the Home Department, though the BJP seems to be reluctant to leave it from its quota.

Besides, Shinde has not yet opened his cards about whether he will join the government as the deputy chief minister or depute one of his close confidants.

Incidentally, Shiv Sena legislators elected Eknath Shinde as the legislature party group leader, while NCP legislators unanimously chose Ajit Pawar as the legislature party group leader.

The BJP will hold the legislators’ meeting on Wednesday (December 4) to elect its group leader.

The party has deputed former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman as observers.

The delays in arriving at a consensus among three partners shocked Shiv Sena as state BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Saturday unilaterally announced that the swearing in ceremony of the new cabinet would take place on Dec.5 at 5 pm at the Azad Maidan in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Shiv Sena has taken a serious objection against Bawankule’s announcement, citing that the BJP is yet to choose its legislature party group leader and the MahaYuti alliance have not yet staked claim to the formation of government.

BJP legislator Shrikant Bharatiya clarified that there are no differences among the MahaYuti partners saying that the party legislators will soon meet to elect the legislature party group leader.

‘’Maharashtra’s next chief minister will be from the BJP. The name will be finalised by the party’s central leadership,” he added.

Meanwhile, Eknath Shinde’s son Shrikant Shinde, a Shiv Sena MP, on Monday scoffed at media reports about him becoming the deputy chief minister. He clarified that he had no desire for any position in the government.

“Even after the Lok Sabha elections, I had the opportunity to take up a ministerial position in the Central government. However, considering the work for the party organisation, I had declined that offer. I have no desire for any post in the government.”

“I am not a part of any race in the state government and I would like to clarify this once again that I will continue to work diligently for my Lok Sabha constituency and for the Shiv Sena party,” Shrikant Shinde said.

Indo-Asian News Service