Eknath Shinde is likely to be the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra.

Eknath Shinde Poised to Become Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister

Written by: Supriya Kadu

Edited by: Pinky Deshmukh

Last Updated: November 29, 2024

Summary: The BJP (Bhartiya Janata Party) wants Eknath Shinde to be the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra to display unity.

On Thursday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah held an important meeting with the leaders of Mahayuti—Devendra Fadanvis, Eknath Shinde, and Ajit Pawar—to end the standoff on who’s going to be the next Maharashtra CM.

The BJP is determined to make Devendra Fadanvis the Chief Minister of Maharashtra to make up for the ‘wrong’ that was done to him when he was asked to take a backseat for the sake of the party.

However, the reports claim that the BJP is keen on making Eknath Shinde the deputy CM of Maharashtra to maintain peace and harmony among the party and also convey their unity to the public.

The BJP wants the SHIV Sena leader to feel valued, despite his pledge that he will respect PM Narendra Modi and Shah's decision. A source said, “Besides, having him on its side will also help the party minimize its reliance on Ajit Dada.”

While the suspense is still there, the main focus of Thursday’s meeting was the allocation of cabinet seats. Maharashtra caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde asked for the Shiv Sena to have at least 12 significant ministerial berths in the new cabinet.

Shinde termed the meeting ‘good and positive’ and also informed that there would be a second and final meeting to decide on the chief minister’s position. This meeting will take place in Mumbai.

This is what Caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said: “The meeting was good and positive. This was the first meeting. We discussed with Amit Shah and JP Nadda... There will be another meeting of the Mahayuti. In this meeting, a decision will be taken about who will be the Chief Minister. The meeting will be held in Mumbai.”

The BJP wants to continue with their two deputy CMs model. However, Eknath Shinde has put in a word for his son Shrikant Shinde as deputy chief minister.

Ajit Pawar will likely play the role of deputy CM along with the key role of managing the portfolio of finance, minority affairs, and women and child development.

If the reports are to be believed, the final decision for the post of chief minister will be until December 2–3, along with the oath ceremony with the deputy chief ministers.