After a two-day break which led to speculation about his discontent, Eknath Shinde is back in Mumbai, paving the way for the power-sharing talks that were halted for two days. The caretaker chief minister, who is reportedly unhappy about not being made the home minister in the new government, has not denied the reports, and said the decision would be taken in a meeting between the top leaders of the three alliance parties.
Shinde went on a two-day visit to his native village Dare in Satara on Friday after cancelling the scheduled meeting between him, BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis and NCP chief Ajit Pawar. This meeting to discuss the sharing of departments, the number of cabinet berths and the guardian ministerships is now expected to take place on Monday.
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Shinde, who was told by the BJP leadership that the chief minister would be from the BJP, had then insisted on the home department. He reportedly went into a sulk after the BJP decided not to concede this crucial department, which is expected to be with the chief minister. Shinde’s abrupt visit to his native place is believed to be an expression of his discontent.
After coming back from Dare on Sunday in a chopper, Shinde reportedly held a meeting of his senior colleagues to discuss the party’s stand on government formation. In a media interaction on Sunday at Thane, he said the leaders of the three parties would take a call on the power-sharing shortly.
When asked whether the Shiv Sena was insisting on the home department and whether he wanted his son to become the deputy chief minister, Shinde chose to not answer the question. “We have already had a meeting with Amit Shah and will soon have another meeting of the three Mahayuti leaders,” he said. “After this, an appropriate decision will be taken. We are committed to giving a good government to the people of Maharashtra.” The caretaker chief minister added that the decision on the post of CM would be taken by the BJP, and he had already made his stand—that he would go with the decision—clear.
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Claiming that he had gone off to Dare because he was unwell, Shinde said it was because of the exertion during campaigning. “I was on medication for two days,” he said, adding that he had not taken a single day off during his two and a half years as CM.
Shinde, Fadnavis and Pawar met union minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Thursday night, where the outline for the power-sharing was decided by Shah. In a separate meeting with Shinde, the union home minister reportedly clarified that the home department would be retained by the BJP. However, the Shiv Sena is pointing to the example of Fadnavis retaining the home department in the Shinde-led government when he was demoted to deputy chief minister, and wants the same principle to be applied in Shinde’s case.
The BJP and Shiv Sena are reportedly at loggerheads over the speaker’s post as well. The Sena is believed to be mounting pressure on the BJP by demanding this post—which is a crucial one in coalition governments—in addition to the home department. The BJP is reportedly not ready to concede either post and plans to keep both itself. Sources said that if Shinde does not get the home department, he will not take the deputy chief ministership either, and wants his MP son, Shrikant Shinde, to be deputy CM.
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BJP leader and former union minister Raosaheb Danve said the decision on the home and other portfolios would be taken by the leaders of the three parties. “As for the CM’s post, the people of Maharashtra know who it is but it will be announced at the appropriate time,” he said. “The formal announcement will be made only after following due process as per our party’s style of working.”
The BJP is expected to elect the CM officially in a meeting of the 132 newly elected MLAs in a meeting on Tuesday or Wednesday. “The names of the observers who will choose the leader of the legislature party are expected soon after a meeting in Delhi,” said a BJP leader. “Subsequently, the meeting to choose the CM will be done, and all the party MLAs have been asked to camp in Mumbai for four days from Monday. The claim to form the government will be staked by the leader elected by the legislators.”
The oath-taking ceremony of the new Mahayuti government will be held at Azad Maidan on December 5.