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Maharashtra’s caretaker CM Eknath Shinde finally accepted the post of deputy to Devendra Fadnavis in the new government and will take oath alongside his colleague, NCP chief Ajit Pawar, tomorrow
Eknath Shinde agreed to be the deputy CM in the new government after a meeting of Shiv Sena leaders in Mumbai on December 4. (Image: PTI/File)
Putting an end to all the suspense over the past week or so, Maharashtra’s caretaker chief minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday finally accepted the post of deputy to Devendra Fadnavis in the new government. He will take oath as one of the two deputies, the other being NCP chief Ajit Pawar, on Thursday (December 5), sources said.
According to sources, Shinde agreed to be the deputy CM after a meeting of Shiv Sena leaders at his residence, Varsha. All the party leaders were successful in convincing him to take oath as the CM, they said. Leaders are confident that he will take up the responsibility in the state cabinet for the development of the state, they added.
Earlier, Fadnavis was chosen as the new CM. All the three major Mahayuti allies — BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP — together staked claim to form the new government.
At their joint press conference, Fadnavis said he had requested Shinde to accept the position of deputy CM, to which the Shiv Sena chief said he will confirm his role by evening.
He backed Fadnavis as CM, just like the BJP leader did for him two-and-a-half years ago when he rebelled against Uddhav Thackeray. “We have staked claim to form the government, oath-taking will happen on Thursday, December 5. 2.5 years back, Devendra Fadnavis said I should be CM; today, I am backing him for the same. We will give full support to the decision taken by PM, home minister. You all ran speculative stories even when I went to my village, but we are happy and are forming this government willingly. We are working as a team and do not look down on anyone,” he said.
Shinde further said the new government’s aim was to work for the common man, and the Mahayuti had given its best and ensured that there was development during its previous tenure. “The task of government is to work for the people. People have supported us, I thank them. Fadnavis has experience, I am privileged to propose his name for CM. I wish him good luck to work for the development of the people… I will announce if I will be part of the cabinet by evening,” he added.
Shinde has been unwell over the past few days. His decision to head to his village in Satara district last week had sparked speculation that he was unhappy over the way the new government was shaping up. But, with his announcement to be part of the cabinet, all suspense has been put to rest paving the way for a clear picture as the new government takes oath.