Rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde will be the next chief minister, said Devendra Fadnavis in a major twist to the Maharashtra political crisis on Thursday. The announcement came minutes after the duo met the Governor to stake claim to form the government. In a jont press conference, Fadnavis said that it will be his responsibility to ensure that the government works properly. This is not a fight for power but for Hindutva.
BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis and rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde will now decide the next court of action, state BJP chief Chandrakant Patil said on Wednesday night. Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray resigned earlier in the evening, a day before a scheduled floor test in the state Assembly. The state BJP unit has asked all its MLAs to gather in Mumbai. In the Maharashtra Assembly, the BJP has 106 MLAs. The MVA strength before the revolt in the Sena was 152 – Sena (55), NCP (53), Congress (44). Smaller parties and Independents, the Others, account for the remaining 29.