In the midst of a swiftly evolving political landscape, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a key player in Maharashtra’s tri-party alliance with the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), has asserted that there will be no changes in leadership in the western Indian state at this juncture.
This clarification has been made by Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Known as the “Maha Yuti,” the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Maharashtra will continue under the leadership of Eknath Shinde as they prepare to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections.
The story of this alliance’s emergence dates back to June-July 2022 when Eknath Shinde assumed the role of Chief Minister, replacing Uddhav Thackeray in leading the Maha Vikas Aghadi government. Meanwhile, the BJP appointed Devendra Fadnavis, a former Chief Minister and ex-Leader of the Opposition, as the Deputy Chief Minister.
Subsequently, in June-July 2023, Ajit Pawar, a seasoned politician and administrator, defected from the NCP and joined the NDA, serving as the Deputy Chief Minister alongside Fadnavis in the Shinde-led BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP government. This move marked a significant shift in the state’s political landscape.
Rumors about a potential leadership change emerged with Ajit Pawar’s entry into the government, particularly due to pending disqualification petitions against Shinde and other members of his faction. The Shiv Sena, divided into two factions led by Shinde and Thackeray, filed disqualification petitions against each other’s MLAs, with hearings scheduled to begin on October 13 before Speaker Rahul Narwekar. Earlier this year, the Election Commission recognized Shinde’s faction as the legitimate Shiv Sena and granted them the bow and arrow symbol.
Similarly, the groups led by Sharad Pawar and Supriya Sule, as well as Ajit Pawar and Praful Patel, filed disqualification petitions against each other’s MLAs, which will be reviewed in due course. On October 6, the Election Commission is set to address the claims over the NCP and the clock symbol put forth by these two factions. In light of this backdrop, Fadnavis, speaking during a media event, affirmed that there would be no change in leadership. He emphasized that Eknath Shinde would remain the Chief Minister, indicating that this status quo would persist not only in the lead-up to the Lok Sabha elections but also before the Vidhan Sabha polls. Fadnavis made it clear that the 2024 elections would be conducted under Shinde’s leadership. Addressing the matter of Ajit Pawar, Fadnavis noted, “When the right time arrives, Ajit Pawar will assume the role of Chief Minister for a full five-year term.”
Fadnavis’s statement comes shortly after he and Shinde met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi. This meeting was convened as Ajit Pawar had expressed concerns over the delay in the distribution of district guardianships. On Wednesday, Ajit Pawar was officially appointed as the Guardian Minister of Pune district, a position he had requested.
