Mumbai is set to witness the grand swearing-in of Devendra Fadnavis as Maharashtra’s Chief Minister, but political tension looms as Eknath Shinde’s faction threatens to boycott the government if he refuses the Deputy CM post. The Mahayuti alliance, after securing a landslide victory in the Assembly elections, now faces internal challenges even as it prepares to shape the state’s future under Fadnavis’s leadership.
By PC Bureau
Eknath Shinde, the outgoing Chief Minister and a key Shiv Sena leader, has thrown the Mahayuti alliance into uncertainty just hours before Devendra Fadnavis’s swearing-in as Maharashtra Chief Minister. Uday Samant, a senior leader from the Shinde faction, announced that no Shiv Sena MLA would join the new government if Shinde declined the Deputy Chief Minister’s post.
“If Eknath Shinde doesn’t accept the Deputy Chief Minister’s post, no Shiv Sena MLA will accept any responsibility in the new government,” Samant declared, adding that Shinde’s ties with NCP leader Jitendra Awhad should not be misread as political maneuvering.
“In politics, there is no code of conduct about who is friends with whom. Awhad and Shinde both hail from Thane, and their camaraderie is purely personal,” Samant clarified, addressing speculation surrounding a recent meeting between the two leaders.
Meanwhile, Mumbai is abuzz with political fervor as the city gears up for Fadnavis’s swearing-in ceremony. Azad Maidan, the venue for the grand event, has been transformed into a fortress with over 4,000 security personnel, including specialized units such as the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF), Quick Response Teams (QRT), and bomb disposal squads. Traffic management in South Mumbai has also been intensified, with 280 personnel ensuring smooth vehicular flow for the high-profile gathering.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut took a sharp jab at Shinde’s political trajectory, asserting that his era as Chief Minister had ended. “The Shinde era is over,” Raut said, accusing the BJP of using Shinde for political gains before sidelining him. “Shinde was used for two years and has now been tossed aside. He will never be the CM again. This is the BJP’s modus operandi—they break and dismantle the parties they work with.”
Fadnavis’s return to the Chief Minister’s office follows his unanimous election as the Leader of the Maharashtra BJP Legislative Party. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman hailed the Mahayuti alliance as a “double-engine government” that will accelerate Maharashtra’s development.
In addition to Fadnavis’s leadership, Ajit Pawar is set to return as Deputy Chief Minister, marking a significant reshaping of the state’s political dynamics. After weeks of intense deliberations, Fadnavis, Shinde, and Pawar presented their letters of support to Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan, formally staking their claim to form the government.
As Fadnavis prepares to take the helm once again, Maharashtra’s political landscape braces for a new chapter, one that faces the dual challenge of navigating alliances and managing internal dissent.
