Eknath Shinde, Devendra Fadnavis, Ajit Pawar to meet Amit Shah in Delhi

Mumbai: The process of government formation in Maharashtra is expected to get a boost after a crucial meeting between caretaker CM Eknath Shinde, Devendra Fadnavis, Ajit Pawar and Union minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Thursday night, sources said.

The meeting assumes significance amid reports that the BJP leadership may be mulling over names of a few of its Maratha leaders, despite the perception that Fadnavis becoming the CM for a third time is a foregone conclusion, the sources said.

Caste dynamics have assumed a greater role in the choice of the CM as an overwhelming number of the 288 MLAs from all the parties are from the Maratha community.

Fadnavis is a Brahmin and first became the CM in 2014 and again for a brief while in 2019. "If the writ of RSS prevails, the chances of Fadnavis becoming the CM are bright," the sources said.

Despite vociferous demands from Shiv Sena leaders that Shinde should have a go at another term at the top post, the caretaker CM on Wednesday made it clear that he has told PM Modi and Shah that he abide by the BJP’s choice for the post.

A close aide of Shinde said on Thursday that the caretaker CM is unlikely to accept the post of deputy CM in the new dispensation.

Sanjay Shirsat, an MLA and spokesperson of the Shiv Sena, however, said Shinde would be a part of the cabinet.

"He is unlikely to be a deputy chief minister. It does not befit a person who has already served as chief minister," Shirsat told PTI.

The Shiv Sena led by Shinde will nominate another leader for the deputy CM's post, he added.

Shinde’s MP son Shrikant Shinde expressed pride in his father for exemplifying "alliance dharma" by prioritising collective governance over personal ambition.

In a post on X, Shrikant highlighted his father's deep connection with the people of Maharashtra, emphasising his relentless dedication to serving all segments of society.

“I am proud of my father and chief leader of the Shiv Sena. He kept faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah and set an example of the alliance dharma, keeping his personal ambition aside," he said.

The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance scripted a stunning victory in the recent state assembly elections by winning 230 seats in the 288-member House.

Recovering from its Lok Sabha elections losses, the BJP bagged 132 constituencies, highest among all constituents of the Mahayuti. Shinde's Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar's NCP also performed well. Sena won 57 while NCP won 41 seats.

Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) suffered a setback. The grand old party registered one of its worst performances in the state assembly polls after it won only 16 seats. Sharad Pawar's NCP(SP) won just 10 seats, whereas Uddhav Thackeray's (UBT) won 20 seats.

The Maharashtra assembly elections were held on November 20, and the results were declared on November 23.

On Tuesday, Eknath Shinde tendered his resignation as CM to Governor C P Radhakrishnan. The Governor requested Shinde to continue as caretaker chief minister until the new government is formed.