Do they want Central rule in Maharashtra: Shiv Sena (UBT) slams Mahayuti over delay in deciding CM

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As suspense continues over the appointment of Maharashtra's next Chief Minister (CM), Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Anant Dubey on Saturday criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Mahayuti alliance, over the delay in government formation despite having a clear mandate in the recently concluded elections.

Speaking to ANI, Dubey said, "Do they [Mahayuti] want Central rule in Maharashtra? Elections were held on November 20, and the results were announced on November 23. It has been a week since then, yet there is no government in the state. They have a clear mandate but don't know who the CM will be. When will they start addressing the needs of the people? We fail to understand their plan of action. In every other state, they declared the CM face on time, so why is Maharashtra being treated differently."

Reports on Friday suggested that caretaker CM Eknath Shinde was "upset" and had travelled to his hometown amid the delay in government formation. However, Shiv Sena leader Uday Samant dismissed these claims and assured that Shinde would return soon and that the Maharashtra cabinet would be finalised shortly.

"The reports of him being upset are media speculations. We were with Eknath Shinde until early morning. He will return tomorrow. Meetings are not limited to physical gatherings; they can also happen via video conferencing or mobile. As Eknath Shinde has stated, the Maharashtra cabinet will be finalised soon," Uday Samant told ANI.

On Thursday night, Shinde, who is Maharashtra's caretaker, along with Deputy CMs Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP National President JP Nadda in New Delhi.

According to ANI, Shinde described the meeting as "good and positive" and hinted at another discussion to finalise the CM's post. "This was the first meeting. We had discussions with Amit Shah and JP Nadda. There will be another Mahayuti meeting in Mumbai, where a decision on the CM will be taken," Shinde said.

The Maharashtra Assembly election results, announced on November 23, handed the Mahayuti alliance a resounding victory. However, despite securing a clear majority, the alliance has yet to name its CM, leaving the state's political future hanging in the balance.

(With ANI inputs)