Eknath Shinde is likely to resign as Maharashtra's Chief Minister on Tuesday, November 26, but will continue as caretaker CM, according to officials of the Shiv Sena party, reported by TOI. Sources from the party said that Shinde is expected to submit his resignation to Governor C. P. Radhakrishnan tomorrow.
Eknath Shinde will remain as the caretaker Chief Minister of Maharashtra until the new CM and cabinet are sworn in. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar thrashed rumours that a discussion took place at his residence with party workers favouring Devendra Fandavis for the state CM post.
Pawar said that the decision of the CM and cabinet minister will be made collectively by the Mahayuti alliance. Speaking to the reporters, the NCP chief said that the significant mandate received by the Mahayuti in the state assembly polls and noted that the MVA does not even have sufficient numbers to claim the leader of the opposition's position in the assembly.
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Pawar credited the government's Ladki Bahin scheme, which provides financial assistance to women, as a key factor in Mahayuti's success in the recent elections. In the results declared on Saturday, the Mahayuti alliance, comprising the BJP, chief minister Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena and the NCP, secured a landslide victory, winning 230 out of 288 assembly seats.
BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is in a race for the chief ministerial post as BJP won massive mandate in Maharashtra Assembly elections, securing 132 seats out of the 149 seats. However, regarding the state cabinet reshuffle, Ajit Pawar state that the meeting will held to discuss on the allocation of the positions.
Pawar also trash rumours of a looming President's rule if the government is not formed by November 27. "There are news reports that government should be formed before November 27 or else there will be President's rule, but there's nothing like that," he said.