BJP Names Observers, E Shinde's Son Junks Deputy Buzz In Maharashtra Race

The Bharatiya Janata Party has named Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and ex-Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani as the designated 'observers' for a meeting of its newly elected Maharashtra MLAs later today, at which the issue of the next Chief Minister may be settled.

No formal announcement has been made so far, but Devendra Fadnavis, a senior BJP leader and two-time former Chief Minister, is widely seen as the frontrunner for the post.

The BJP - which recorded a big win in last month's Assembly election, with help from allies Shiv Sena and NCP (the Eknath Shinde- and Ajit Pawar-led factions) - has delayed naming the new Chief Minister amid backroom talks between the three allies over a power-sharing agreement.

A rudimentary deal was announced last week; the Chief Minister will be from the BJP and the two allies will each get a deputy, a repeat of the current formula but tilted in favour of the former.

The BJP emerged as the single-largest party in the 288-seat House with 132 MLAs, while the Shinde Sena got 57 and the Pawar NCP group 41. That meant the BJP can form the government - with the majority mark at 145 - without help from the Sena faction, unlike the 2022 mid-term switch that saw the Maha Vikas Aghadi fall after rebel Sena leaders allied with the BJP.

The fact that the BJP does not, at this point, need the Shinde Sena's help (assuming Ajit Pawar's NCP remains an ally) has emboldened the saffron party to claim the Chief Minister's position, a claim that has not gone down all too well with outgoing Chief Minister Shinde and his party.

But last week Mr Shinde, after days of posturing - which included retreating to his hometown in Satara district, a move attributed to a need for rest after a draining election campaign but one seen as conveying displeasure at being sidelined - seemed to accept the new status quo.

He told reporters he had spoken to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "I told PM Modi I would not be an obstacle... we (the Mahayuti alliance that won the election) will go with what he decides."

Days later, while he was in Satara, the BJP said the new Chief Minister would be sworn-in at 5 pm on December 5, i.e., Thursday. The ceremony, the party's Maharashtra unit chief said would take place at Mumbai's iconic Azad Maidan in the presence of Prime Minister Modi.

The NCP has already indicated it will back the BJP, meaning party boss Ajit Pawar will likely return as Deputy Chief Minister. Who the second deputy will be remains to be seen.

It could be Eknath Shinde but the jump from the top post to the deputy's might be seen as a bit too big to stomach, and explain to party workers, even if it mirrors the step taken by Mr Fadnavis in 2022, when the Shinde Sena and BJP allied.

Back then Devendra Fadnavis, who had been Chief Minister from 2014 to 2019 (and then for a few days in November 2019, after Ajit Pawar's first (failed) rebellion), was reluctant to become a deputy to Mr Shinde. He had to persuaded to accept the post by senior BJP leaders.

A possible option, though, is Eknath Shinde's son, Shrikant Shinde.

However, Shinde junior has refused such speculation, suggesting the Shinde Sena, despite outwardly accepting its junior status in this new-look Mahayuti, is actually still playing tough.

Eknath Shinde's son said on X that "there are a lot of discussion and rumours" about his becoming Deputy Chief Minister and said firmly, "As a matter of fact, there is no truth in it... all the news about my taking up the post of Deputy Chief Minister is baseless".

He said he had been given the opportunity to become a Union Minister after the Lok Sabha elections but turned that down. "I refused the post then (and) have no desire for a position in power. I make it clear, once again, I am not in the race for any ministerial position in the state."