Caretaker Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde returned to Mumbai on Sunday from his native village in Satara, where he had been recuperating after a brief illness. Upon his departure, the Satara police accorded him a ‘guard of honour.’ Addressing the media in his village, Shinde stated that the Mahayuti alliance’s chief ministerial candidate would be decided on Monday. He emphasised his “unconditional support” for the decision to be made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP President JP Nadda. Shinde assured reporters of his improved health, noting, “I am feeling better now. I came here to rest after the busy election schedule. I didn’t take any leave during my two and a half years as Chief Minister.”
The Mahayuti alliance, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP, secured a landslide victory in the Maharashtra Assembly elections announced on November 23. The BJP emerged as the largest party with 132 seats in the 280-member Assembly, while its allies—the Shiv Sena, led by Eknath Shinde, and the NCP, led by Ajit Pawar—won 57 and 41 seats, respectively. Despite this decisive mandate, the alliance has yet to announce its chief ministerial candidate. Shinde, along with Devendra Fadnavis—widely considered the frontrunner for the Chief Minister position—NCP chief Ajit Pawar, and other Mahayuti leaders, met with Amit Shah and JP Nadda in Delhi on Thursday evening to discuss the leadership issue.
Highlighting the unity among Mahayuti leaders, Shinde remarked, “Our government’s work over the past two and a half years will be remembered in history. This is why the people gave us a historic mandate and denied the opposition even the chance to elect a Leader of the Opposition. All three allies of the Mahayuti have a good understanding. The Chief Minister candidate will be decided tomorrow.”
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The political landscape in Maharashtra remains dynamic, with the Mahayuti alliance’s leadership decision eagerly anticipated. The forthcoming announcement is expected to shape the state’s governance trajectory in the coming years.
