Delay in Maharashtra government formation 'insult' to the state, says Aaditya Thackeray

Aaditya Thackeray. File Photo

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Sunday claimed the Mahayuti's inability to decide on a chief minister and Maharashtra government formation more than a week after the announcement of assembly poll results was an "insult" to Maharashtra, reported news agency PTI.

In a post on X, Thackeray also asked why President's rule has not yet been enforced in the state.

Targeting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is the largest constituent of the Mahayuti, Thackeray claimed that to declare the swearing-in date unilaterally without even staking claim to form government is "pure anarchy".

The Mahayuti alliance of the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP retained power with a landslide victory in the Maharashtra assembly elections, the results of which were announced on November 23.

The oath-taking ceremony of the new Mahayuti government will take place on December 5 evening and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend it, state BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule said on Saturday.

There has been no announcement yet on who would be the chief minister.

Devendra Fadnavis, who has been chief minister twice and was deputy CM in the last Eknath Shinde-led government, was the frontrunner for the post, according to BJP sources, reported PTI.

Maharashtra's caretaker Chief Minister and Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde headed to his native village Dare in Satara district on Friday, amid speculation that he was not happy with the way the new state government was shaping up.

Hitting out at the Mahayuti, Thackeray in a post on X said, "To not be able to decide on a chief minister, and form government, for more than a week after result day, is not just an insult to Maharashtra (for taking our state so lightly) but also to the assistance provided by their dearest Election Commission," Thackeray said.

It seems that rules only apply to the opposition parties, and not for some "special ones", the Shiv Sena (UBT) legislature party leader said in his post.

"To declare the swearing in date, unilaterally, without even staking claim to form government and show numbers to the Hon'ble Governor, is pure anarchy," he claimed.

"And in all this, the caretaker cm is on a mini vacation, as per the phase of the moon, as we've regularly observed earlier too," Thackeray said.

In the meanwhile, Maharashtra seems like no priority for those who could form government. They're enjoying their Delhi trips, he said sarcastically.

"Presidential rule? Shouldn't it have been in place by now? Wouldn't it have been, had the opposition had the numbers, with a decision pending?" asked the Sena (UBT) leader, who retained his Worli seat in Mumbai in the recently-concluded assembly polls.

(With inputs from PTI)