11-Day 'Maha' Political Drama Concludes: Devendra Fadnavis to Become Maharashtra CM, Eknath Shinde's Role Uncertain
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11-Day 'Maha' Political Drama Concludes: Devendra Fadnavis to Become Maharashtra CM, Eknath Shinde's Role Uncertain
MUMBAI : The Maha political drama over the chief ministership of Maharashtra's Mahayuti finally ended today with Eknath Shinde proposing the name of BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis as the next leader of the ruling coalition. At the same time, it is still unsure whether Shinde will join the government as a deputy chief minister.
After all, it took Shinde 11 days to agree for a change of leadership finally after BJP rejected his demand for a second term as the chief minister of Mahayuti.
Here is the drama that unfolded after results were announced in Maharashtra on November 23.
Mahayuti gets Maha mandate
Maharashtra handed an overwhelming majority to the ruling Mahayuti by the ruling coalition sweeping 230 seats in the 288-member assembly. The BJP has emerged quite remarkably managing to get 132 seats on its own, some 13 short of the simple majority mark. Similarly, its allies Shiv Sena and NCP fared extremely well grabbing 57 and 41 seats, respectively.
Shinde credits Maha mandate
Chief minister Eknath Shinde credited his government's performance in the last two and a half years to have yielded such a humongous electoral success immediately after the verdict. Shinde claimed that welfare schemes declared by his government, which includes the Ladki Bahin scheme, worked like gamechangers for elections. Shiv Sena then began its drive to push for second term to Shinde citing popularity and governance model.
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Shiv Sena invokes Bihar model to build pressure on Shinde
Shiv Sena leaders launched a well-planned campaign for Shinde as chief minister. It claimed that BJP had promised to gift the top position to Shinde, if Mahayuti emerges victorious in elections. They even pasted posters demanding that Shinde should be the Mahayuti's leader and reworded PM Modi's popular "Ek hain to safe hain" campaign into "Ek(nath) hain to safe hain." Sena leaders even argued with the Bihar model where Bihar BJP's junior partner, Nitish Kumar is the chief minister of Bihar.
Shinde yields on the fourth day
After four days of silence, Shinde finally addressed a press conference declaring that he will not stand as a barrier in the new government formation and will take Prime Minister Modi and Amit Shah's decision on Mahayuti's chief minister selection. However, he did not miss the opportunity of listing out the achievements of his government on the presser and declaring that the work done in two and a half years of his government was more than what other governments would accomplish in 10 years. He also declared that tenure historic. Shinde again played the victim card while claiming that for him CM used to stand for common man and not chief minister. Shiv Sena chief said he, hailing from ordinary origins, understood the hurts of common man when he was chief minister.
Mahayuti leaders meet Amit Shah
A day after Shinde's climbdown on CM post, Mahayuti leaders finally met Union home minister Amit Shah and BJP chief J P Nadda in the national capital on November 28 to discuss the modalities of forming the new government. However, the meeting could not finalise the power sharing agreement and Shinde, Fadavis and Ajit Pawar decided to meet again on November 29 in Mumbai.
Shinde leaves for his native village.
But, this scheduled meeting of the three Mahayuti leaders could not take place in Mumbai as Shinde suddenly left for his native village in Satara. Adding to the suspense, Shiv Sena leaders provided varied reasons for Shinde's sudden absence from Mumbai. While one leader claimed he was unwell and hence gone to village to take rest, another Sena leader claimed that Shinde was planning a big decision and hence had gone to his native village.
BJP announces date of swearing-in ceremony unilaterally
Mahayuti 2.0 government oath ceremony date: December 5; Maharashtra BJP chief declares the date publicly as it was an open warning to Shinde that power has shifted
Shinde comes out in public to announce the meeting date; Returns to Mumbai
A day after BJP's surprise move, Shinde announced that a meeting of Mahayuti leaders will be held in Mumbai on December 1. Shinde also returned from Satara to Mumbai signalling truce.
Mahayuti meeting cancelled again as Shinde now goes to Thane house
But, however, the scheduled meet again of Mahayuti leaders had to be called off as the caretaker chief minister Shinde declared himself not available since he wanted to go home to his Thane residence as a doctor advised him to take rest.
BJP has central observers and scheduled its legislature party meet
BJP, however, did not waste time. It completed all its arrangements for the oath-taking ceremony. It also declared Nirmala Sitharaman and Vijay Rupani as central observers of the party for BJP legislature party meeting on December 4.
Shinde finally reaches Mumbai, meets Fadnavis
Shinde finally returned to Mumbai on December 3 after visiting a hospital in Thane for medical tests. He held a meeting with concerned officials to take stock of the preparations for the event to be held at Chaityabhoomi on the death anniversary of Dr BR Ambedkar on December 6. This meeting ended, Fadnavis went to CM house to meet Shinde.
Fadnavis declared CM-elect, Mahayuti leaders stake claim to form govt
At the legislature party meeting convened earlier in the day in Vidhan Bhawan, former Gujarat CM and central observer for the BJP Vijay Rupani announced that Fadnavis has been unanaminously elected as the leader of the BJP legislature party.
Later, Fadnavis and Shinde, along with Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, met state Governor CP Radhakrishnan to formally stake claim to form the government, presenting letters of support from coalition partners such as Shiv Sena and the NCP.
There is no clarity on this yet as of now if Shinde would join the government.
(FROM AGENCIES)
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