Putting an end to speculation over whether outgoing Chief Minister Eknath Shinde will take charge as deputy CM in the BJP-led Mahayuti government, a Shiv Sena leader on Thursday confirmed that the party chief will take oath this evening.
“Eknath Shinde will take oath as deputy CM of Maharashtra,” Shiv Sena leader Uday Samant said.
Samant said they had a discussion with Devendra Fadnavis, who provided them with a letter confirming that Shinde would join him as deputy CM.
“I am here to submit it to the governor,” Samant told reporters outside the Raj Bhavan before meeting Governor CP Radhakrishnan.
When asked about the delay in taking the decision, Sawant reiterated that Shiv Sena workers wanted Eknath Shinde to take up the post and he had agreed to it. He added that there were no issues over the division of portfolios and the leaders of the three parties – BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP – would decide on the matter.
The development comes just hours before Devendra Fadnavis's swearing-in as chief minister.
Earlier, Sena leaders had said that party MLAs would not accept any responsibility in the new government if Eknath Shinde did not take up the post of deputy CM.
Along with Shinde, NCP chief Ajit Pawar will also take oath as deputy CM.
The swearing-in ceremony will take place at 5.30 pm at Mumbai's Azad Maidan in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union ministers and top BJP leaders and CMs from the saffron party-ruled states. The formation of the new government comes after two weeks of intensive negotiations.
Earlier, reports said that Shinde was angry after the Mahayuti leaders' meeting in the national capital as he was not inclined to become deputy CM. Afterwards, Shinde went to his native village in Satara in Maharashtra. However, while addressing the media, he made it clear that he would not be an obstacle for the BJP to get the chief minister's post.
“I have already given my unconditional support to the party leadership and I will support their decision. The government will be formed and there will be no problems. There is coordination between all three parties,” Shinde said.
Oath-taking ceremony
The oath-taking ceremony of the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Ministers will take place at Azad Maidan on the evening of December 5. The event will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Mahayuti Alliance seats won
The Mahayuti won 230 of the 288 seats in the assembly. The BJP led with 132 seats, while the Shiv Sena got 57 seats and the NCP 41 seats.