Mumbai: The suspense over who would be the Chief Minister of Maharashtra is likely to be resolved soon as the three key leaders of the ruling alliance — Devendra Fadnavis, Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar — met Union Home minister and the BJP’s chief strategist Amit Shah in Delhi. The BJP, it appears, wants to iron out every wrinkle before making a formal announcement. The meeting, which ended at midnight, is expected to be the final one before the Chief Minister is announced. Sources said the decision will now just need a sign-off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The meeting was held a day after Eknath Shinde said he would not be an ‘obstacle” and go by the decision of the BJP Central leadership regarding the top post, effectively clearing decks for Mr Fadnavis, seen as the front-runner in the race.
“I have told PM Modi that I would not be an obstacle. We would go with whatever he decides,” Mr Shinde had told reporters. He also said he was not “not greedy for any position” and ‘no one is upset”.
Earlier today, sources had said that the Chief Minister would be from the BJP, who would have two deputies.
The other hiccup in the naming of Mr Fadnavis for the top post is caste dynamics as an overwhelming number of the 288 MLAs are from the Maratha community. Mr Fadnavis belongs to the Brahmin community, which had caused a backlash of sorts in 2014 as well.
