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The Mahayuti alliance won 234 out of 288 seats in Maharashtra. Now the focus is on who will become the CM – Fadnavis or Shinde.
Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde with his deputies Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar (PTI Image)
Maharashtra Assembly Election 2024: With the declaration of Maharashtra Assembly Election results on Saturday, the race for the chief minister’s post has now picked up pace with the BJP expected to take the lead in this chase, given the maximum number of seats the saffron party bagged among the alliance partners.
The BJP won 132 seats, Shiv Sena 57, and NCP 41 after the conclusion of the counting of votes across all constituencies.
The Mahayuti, which won over 230 seats in the 288-seated Assembly, had contested the elections without declaring its CM face and stressed time and again that the name would be decided only after winning the polls.
Soon after sweeping the polls yesterday, Devendra Fadnavis, who is believed to be the front-runner in the race, also clarified that the three parties will sit together and discuss the CM post.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde also said that there is no decision on the CM yet and it will be taken in consensus with all stakeholders.
Maharashtra Assembly Elections
The voters gave an overwhelming mandate to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Mahayuti alliance as it banked on its women’s welfare schemes, development rhetoric and the “Ek Hai To Safe Hai” slogan to obliterate the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, delivering a shock for the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sharad Pawar’s NCP.
Scenes of celebrations were seen at the BJP, Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar-led NCP’s camps as the Mahayuti won a massive 234 out of 288 seats, while the MVA reeled at 50 seats. This is arguably the worst routing of Sharad Pawar’s career, whose party only won 10 out of 86 seats it contested.
Now the debate has shifted to who will become the next Chief Minister of Maharashtra. BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis and Shiv Sena’s Eknath Shinde are the top favourites for the post. Here’s what high-profile leaders said on the next Mahayuti CM of the state.
Devendra Fadnavis Or Eknath Shinde?
Several people believed that the Maharashtra verdict, where the BJP won the maximum number of seats, would result in a possible shift of power that would mark Fadnavis’ return to power. Several BJP leaders like Kailash Vijayvargiya and Pravin Darekar have backed Fadnavis’ appointment as CM.
Addressing the BJP party workers at party headquarters, PM Modi referred to Fadnavis as “param mitr” (great friend). Sarita Fadnavis, Devendra Fadnavis’ mother, also said her son is a “favourite” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and everyone in the BJP wants him to become the next chief minister of Maharashtra.
Speaking to reporters, Fadnavis offered no clear explanation on who will become the next CM, adding that the leaders of all three parties will meet tomorrow and decide the CM. Fadnavis also asserted that there will be no dispute on the CM’s face and any decision will be acceptable to all three parties.
#WATCH | Mumbai | When asked who will be the next CM of Maharashtra, Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis says, “There will be no dispute on the CM’s face. It was decided from day one that after the elections, the leaders of the three parties will sit together and decide on… pic.twitter.com/wfI6nqhN8F— ANI (@ANI) November 23, 2024
Eknath Shinde also did not offer any insights on the matter. Labelling the CM as a “common man”, the Shiv Sena leader said, “The common man was our focal point. We wanted to convert the common man into Superman”. He also said the election results showed who truly carried the legacy of Balasaheb Thackeray.
Speaking on the ongoing reports of his deputy Devendra Fadnavis being the BJP’s choice for the chief ministerial face, Shinde said, “No decision on the Chief Minister candidate has been taken yet.” Shiv Sena MLA and spokesperson Sanjay Shirsat has advocated for Shinde’s appointment as the CM face, given his importance in the election campaign.
While Ajit Pawar, did not comment on the issue, NCP leader Amol Mitkari pushed the name of the Deputy CM for the coveted job. “Whatever the results, the NCP will be the kingmaker,” Mitkari said before the trends turned in Mahayuti’s favour.
Results In Maharashtra Election s 2024
The Mahayuti alliance reaped the fruits of its successful campaign as it clinched 234 seats, where the BJP won 132 – more than double than the entire tally of the MVA. The Congress could only manage 16 seats as the MVA suffered a drubbing in Maharashtra.
Shiv Sena bested the UBT faction of the party with a tally of 57 seats, while Uddhav Thackeray’s party managed to win 20 seats. Sharad Pawar arguably suffered the worst routing in his career, as his party won only 10 seats and lagged far behind his nephew’s tally of 41.
Some leaders of MVA parties said the results were unexpected and said they would introspect, while others, including Uddhav Thackeray, alleged foul play and blamed the EVMs for the outcome.