Maharashtra polls: Suspense over CM continues as BJP to announce candidate once parties decide on portfolios

Devendra Fadnavis, CM Eknath Shinde, and Ajit Pawar address the press after winning the Maharashtra Assembly elections on November 23. (Pic/Shadab Khan)

The suspense over Maharashtra CM on Tuesday continued as sources in the BJP said that the party will only announce candidate once it decides on portfolio allocations, the PTI reported.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is taking a measured approach regarding the announcement of its chief ministerial candidate for Maharashtra, the party will wait until the allocation of ministerial portfolios in the new state government is finalised before naming its candidate, reported news agency PTI on Tuesday.

The BJP emerged victorious after the Maharashtra assembly election result was announced on November 23.

The party won 132 seats, while its coalition partners, the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), secured 57 and 41 seats, respectively.

Despite the BJP's impressive win, there seems to be a lack of consensus among the coalition partners about who should assume the chief minister's office.

Following Eknath Shinde's resignation as chief minister, the Governor has appointed him to continue in a caretaker capacity. This development has delayed the decision-making process of the next chief minister.

"The central leadership is in no hurry to name a candidate for the chief minister's post. We have secured a decisive mandate, and the priority now is to work out a comprehensive plan for government formation. That includes finalising ministerial portfolios and distribution of key posts such as district guardian ministers," stated PTI quoting a state BJP leader who requested anonymity.

This cautious approach aims to ensure unity within the Mahayuti coalition and prevent any discord that could arise from portfolio distribution.

Elaborating, another BJP insider cited the case of Mahendra Thorave, an MLA from Raigad district who had opposed the appointment of NCP's Aditi Tatkare as district guardian minister earlier this year, owing to the long-standing local rivalry, stated PTI.

"We want to address such issues now, ensuring that everyone is on the same page before moving forward," he said.

With the state's 288-member assembly, a Maharashtra cabinet can have a maximum of 43 ministers, both cabinet and junior. There are 36 districts, and for a chief minister it becomes imperative that each of them gets representation, stated PTI.

"With the ongoing parliamentary session, the central leadership is stretched thin, holding meetings with both Maharashtra BJP leaders and allies while also handling floor management in Parliament," said a BJP leader.

Regarding the announcement of the chief minister candidate, the leader said, "The BJP central body will appoint an observer or a team of observers who will visit Mumbai. They will meet the MLAs and senior party functionaries to finalise the cabinet formula. Once that is done, they will announce the party's choice for the leader of the legislative wing," PTI stated.

Former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is viewed as a strong contender for the position, especially after his prominent role in the election campaign.

However, Shiv Sena leaders have expressed their preference for Shinde to remain in the role, indicating ongoing negotiations.

Ajit Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party, which is the third player in Mahayuti, is yet to open its cards regarding the chief minister candidate.

Recently senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal publicly stated that Fadnavis was acceptable to them. "This has strengthened the calls from several BJP leaders, including newly-elected MLAs, that Fadnavis should be the next CM," the leader told PTI

However, the BJP remains careful, as the final decision will be made only after the distributions of cabinet portfolios. "There is no rush. Once the cabinet formula is finalised, we will announce the candidate," said the BJP leader.

(With inputs from PTI)