Maharashtra CM News Highlights: Fadnavis set to become Maharashtra CM, says 'Modi hai toh mumkin hai'

Seeking to project unity in Mahayuti, BJP's legislative party leader Devendra Fadnavis said, "The chief minister's post is just a technical agreement between us." At a presser with Fadnavis and NCP's Ajit Pawar, outgoing CM Eknath Shinde evaded a reply when asked if he would join the govt. "Wait till evening," he said, only for Ajit to interject, "He may decide by evening, but I am going to take oath (as dy CM)." While Ajit's comment drew laughter, Shinde said, "Ajit dada has experience. He can take oath in evening as well as in the morning," referring to the NCP chief's early-morning oath-taking as Fadnavis's deputy when BJP and an NCP faction led by him formed a short-lived govt in 2019. Ajit remarked that this time, it won't be for a short span but for five years.

As the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh gets ready to enter its 100th year, it has got the kind of gift it could only have dreamed of: in the state of its birth, a dyed-in-the-shakha saffron swayamsevak as chief minister, with smackingly high numbers in the legislature to back him up.

Devendra Fadnavis is a man with deep ideological moorings in the Sangh and serious political upbringing in the BJP, and as he gears up for his new innings as CM, he brings with him, in addition, the vastly educative experience of a real rollercoaster ride he's had over the past five years. That has seen him go through many moods, moments, experiences: one of exhilaration when the BJP-Shiv Sena combine won 161 seats in the 2019 assembly polls fought under his leadership; one of downright dejection when Uddhav Thackeray walked out of the alliance and Fadnavis suddenly realised the limitations of BJP's reduced tally of 105 (from the 122 it had in 2014), which had actually enabled Uddhav to jump ship; one of having to endure mocking references to his pre-2019 polls pronouncement of 'Mee Punha Yein (I'll be back),' which the opposition-and even detractors within BJP-used to beat him with.

With Devendra Fadnavis of the BJP set to take oath as chief minister on Thursday and the Shiv Sena having settled for the deputy chief minister's post and about a dozen ministerial berths, hectic lobbying has begun among MLAs and MLCs for portfolios. While the Shiv Sena camp was enthusiastic, several MLAs said that it would have been better for the party if Eknath Shinde had continued as chief minister for at least some more time as it would have boosted party morale and performance in the local body elections. Almost all outgoing cabinet ministers are keen on retaining their berths. Shiv Sena functionaries said that the party was likely to give a chance to new faces, and cabinet selection will be a careful balancing act of regional and caste factors, while also keeping in mind the upcoming local body elections. The Shiv Sena had 40 MLAs when the Mahayuti govt was formed in 2022. Now, after the assembly election, the Shiv Sena has 57 MLAs. Four independents have also extended support to the Shiv Sena.

Offering a climbdown from his demand of being allowed to continue as the head of the Mahayuti govt, Sena chief Eknath Shinde asked BJP brass at a meeting with Union home minister Amit Shah in Delhi last week that if it wasn't possible to give him the post for govt's full term, he should be made the CM for at least the first six months, a veteran politician has revealed. But BJP leadership rejected this proposal outright, saying it would set a bad precedent, he said.

"There is no system of appointing a CM for six months; it would be a bad decision and would have an adverse impact on the administration," he said, citing BJP functionaries. The meeting was held on Nov 28 a day after Shinde said he would not be an obstacle to formation of govt and would accept any decision taken by BJP brass as "final". It was also attended by BJP functionary Devendra Fadnavis, NCP president Ajit Pawar, its working president Praful Patel and its state chief Sunil Tatkare.

According to the politician, Shinde initially reminded BJP brass of the purported promise made after the Lok Sabha election and in the run-up to the assembly polls that if the alliance secured a clear majority, he would be retained as the chief minister. This request was rejected outright on the grounds that it would be wrong to give him the post when BJP secured "a near clear majority" in the 288-member House. BJP won 132 seats, Sena 57 and NC. In 2014, BJP had secured 122 seats and Fadnavis was then elected as CM with NCP's outside support. In response, Shinde was asked to put himself in the shoes of the BJP president, the politician said. "The BJP leadership told Shinde: 'Will you give up the claim to the CM post if you secured a clear majority?' Shinde was left speechless," he said.

Senior NCP members are camping in Delhi to bargain for a considerable share for the party in the Maharashtra cabinet, looking to equal the number that Shiv Sena gets in Mahayuti's second term, reports Anurag Bende. NCP chief Ajit Pawar, party's state president Sunil Tatkare, and other senior members have been in Delhi for the last couple of days, waiting to meet Union home minister Amit Shah to discuss the cabinet formation.

While NCP got the least seats among the Mahayuti partners, the party is pressing for the same number of posts as Shiv Sena. "Though Shiv Sena won more seats, NCP wants an equal number of cabinet posts along with the Sena. While deputy CM's post for Ajit Pawar is confirmed, the party wants to accommodate more of its members in the cabinet. Senior members have travelled to Delhi to discuss the possibilities," a senior BJP member said.