A Shiv Sena neta close to Eknath Shinde said there was an agreement after the Lok Sabha elections that Shinde would take over the reins of the state if Mahayuti won the assembly polls. The neta said that after the Mahayuti's debacle in the LS polls, there were a series of meetings to draft a strategy for the assembly elections. In these meetings, it was decided that BJP would contest the maximum number of seats followed by Shiv Sena and NCP, but "irrespective of the number of seats the Mahayuti constituents win, Shinde will continue to be the CM if Mahayuti secures a clear majority," the neta said.
Read full storyFollowing a resounding victory in the Maharashtra assembly elections, the BJP is taking a cautious approach to naming its chief ministerial candidate. While Devendra Fadnavis is considered the frontrunner, the decision is pending portfolio allocation and discussions with coalition partners Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar's NCP. Eknath Shinde has resigned as CM but remains a contender, backed by Shiv Sena.
Read full storyThe Shiv Sena on Tuesday gave an interesting tweak to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's election slogan "Ek hain to safe hain" as it continued with its strong pitch for Eknath Shinde as the next chief minister of Maharashtra.Sena leader Manisha Kayande tweaked the popular slogan to write on X "Ek(Nath) hai to safe hain" - suggesting that the ruling Mahayuti of BJP, Shiv Sena and the NCP is safe under Eknath Shinde. The Sena is insisting that Shinde should be allowed to continue as the chief minister after ruling Mahayuti's spectacular victory in the just concluded assembly elections.
Read full storyWho will be the next chief minister of Maharashtra? It's advantage Devendra Fadnavis amid suspense over which Mahayuti leader gets the top job. The BJP, with 132 seats - only 12 less than the half-way mark in the 288-member assembly, is the strongest contender for the post and needs only one ally to form a government. But, the Shiv Sena, despite winning only 57 seats - which is less than half of BJP's tally, is not giving up easily. The leaders of Shiv Sena, according to reports, feel that it was their leader Eknath Shinde, who as the incumbent chief minister, paved the way for the historic win of the ruling alliance with his governance. They also cite data from opinion poll surveys to claim that Shinde is the most popular leader of the Mahayuti.
Read moreAfter the Shiv Sena (UBT), part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, faced a humiliating defeat from the Mahayuti alliance in the Maharashtra assembly elections, the party's spokesperson Anand Dubey that the party will make a comeback under the leadership to Aaditya Thackeray after a meeting at 'Matoshree' on Monday.
"I am confident that we will make a comeback under the leadership of Aaditya Thackeray. His only aim is to provide employment to the youth of state and MSP for farmers" said Dubey.
Read moremumbai: Maharashtra chief minister, Eknath Shinde, is likely to resign tomorrow but will continue as the caretaker CM, party functionaries said on Monday.Shiv Sena insiders stated that CM Shinde is expected to submit his resignation to the governor on Tuesday and remain as a caretaker CM until the new chief minister and cabinet are sworn in.'No formula'Maharashtra deputy chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Monday clarified that no "formula" for the chief minister's post is currently under discussion, adding that the decision will be made collectively by the Mahayuti partners.
Read moreThe Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee has denied reports that the party's state unit chief, Nana Patole, resigned from his post over the party's poor performance in the recent assembly elections.
The MPCC stated that these reports are false and being spread maliciously.
Read more