Is Eknath Shinde on his way out?

New Delhi: Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde along with his family members met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday.

The meeting, described by Shinde as a courtesy call, came days after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) courted Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar and appointed him the second deputy chief minister of Maharashtra.

BJP's Devendra Fadanvis is already a deputy chief minister.

However, Shinde's political rivals called it his exit meeting as the Prime Minister wanted to thank him for bringing down the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government and splitting the Shiv Sena.

The speculation about his exit intensified after an NCP legislator Amol Mitkari tweeted that Ajit Pawar will soon take oath as the next chief minister of Maharashtra.

मी अजित अनंतराव पवार महाराष्ट्राचा मुख्यमंत्री म्हणून शपथ घेतो की......! लवकरच #अजितपर्व pic.twitter.com/12jZ8BMPRi

— आ. अमोल रामकृष्ण मिटकरी (@amolmitkari22) July 21, 2023

Ajit Pawar has of late been very vocal about his aspiration to become the chief minister. In Maharashtra politics, he has often been described as the perpetual deputy chief minister. He joined politics in 1982, and has served as the deputy chief minister five times.

Addressing leaders of his faction of the NCP, Ajit Pawar openly expressed his desire to become the chief minister one day. "I want to become the chief minister," he said.

It is an open secret in the state that Shinde has become a liability for the BJP, which has conducted a few surveys in the recent months to assess the party's position and preparations for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The surveys have apparently indicated a huge sympathy factor in favour of former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and no gain for the BJP due to Shinde's switch.

By getting Ajit Pawar on the board, the BJP wants to consolidate its position in the 2024 polls, especially in Western Maharashtra where the NCP has strong pockets of influence due to the joint efforts of Maratha strongman Sharad Pawar and his estranged nephew.

Interestingly, the BJP did not refute Mitkari's claim that Ajit Pawar will soon take oath as the chief minister to reassure the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) that there will be no change of guard till the assembly elections scheduled to be held in October-November next year.

However, any move to replace Shinde with Ajit Pawar is likely to draw widespread criticism for the BJP and strengthen the perception that the saffron party dumps a person when his or her utility is over. That might also prompt a rethink among other potential Shindes across the country.