In a significant development regarding the formation of the next Maharashtra government, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar confirmed on Thursday that a decision will be made after a key meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi. Pawar, addressing the media, reiterated that discussions surrounding the chief minister’s post are yet to take place. He clarified that the Mahayuti alliance, which includes the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction, and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), will arrive at a conclusion after consulting with the BJP leadership.
The Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections, held on November 23, saw a resounding victory for the Mahayuti alliance, which secured 230 out of the total 288 seats. The alliance’s stronghold has made it almost certain that BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis will once again be appointed as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, a post he is expected to assume for the third time. Fadnavis’s BJP-led faction won 132 of the 149 seats it contested, underscoring their dominant position in the state.
In a crucial development on Wednesday, Maharashtra’s caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced that he would “fully support” the BJP leadership’s decision in naming the next CM. Shinde, whose Shiv Sena faction is part of the Mahayuti alliance, emphasized that he would not stand in the way of the BJP’s choice, clearing the path for Fadnavis to take charge once again. A senior BJP leader expressed confidence that this statement from Shinde had removed any potential hurdles to the decision-making process.
Ajit Pawar, speaking on the matter, noted that no specific formula for the chief minister’s post had been discussed within the alliance yet. The NCP leader’s remarks came amid growing speculation on the distribution of key positions within the state government. Pawar confirmed that the next steps would be finalized after the meeting with Amit Shah, who is expected to play a pivotal role in shaping the government’s structure.
The state elections also saw a sharp decline for the Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, which faced a significant setback. The Congress party, in particular, suffered one of its worst electoral performances in recent memory, winning only 16 seats. Sharad Pawar’s NCP (SP) and Uddhav Thackeray’s UBT (United Bharat Thackeray) alliance also saw a drop in their seat share, securing just 10 and 20 seats respectively.
Ajit Pawar, when questioned about the state of the election results, also addressed allegations regarding the role of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). He remarked, “In the parliament election, EVM was fine because the result was in their (Maha Vikas Aghadi) favor. In assembly elections, the result is different and hence they are blaming the EVM,” a remark highlighting the ongoing debates over election integrity.
As the political landscape in Maharashtra continues to evolve, all eyes are now on the upcoming meeting with Amit Shah, which is expected to pave the way for the new government formation in the state.