The demand for making Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde the Chief Minister of Maharashtra is gaining momentum within the party. After MLA Abdul Sattar called for Shinde to be appointed CM for a period of two and a half years, Minister Pratap Sarnaik stated that the public wants Shinde to lead the state government. MLC Bacchu Kadu suggested that current CM Devendra Fadnavis should be elevated to a central position.
Pratap Sarnaik acknowledges numerical constraints
However, Sarnaik acknowledged that demanding the CM's post based on the strength of 60 MLAs in a 288-member assembly is not appropriate. He said, "As workers, we want Deputy CM Eknath Shinde to become the CM again. But ultimately, numbers matter. Efforts will be made to increase Shiv Sena's strength in the Lok Sabha and the assembly by 2029."
Bacchu Kadu proposes central role for Fadnavis
Kadu argued that if Fadnavis were given a ministerial berth at the Centre, it would pave the way for Shinde's appointment as CM. He claimed that party functionaries had toured Vidarbha over the past 20 days and understood the public mood. "I am sure that Vidarbha will make Eknath Shinde the CM," he asserted.
Mixed reactions within the alliance
Shiv Sena Minister Uday Samant described Kadu's demand as a personal opinion but added that it is natural. "I too want Shinde to become CM, just as BJP wants Devendra Fadnavis as CM," he said. In contrast, BJP Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule dismissed the talk of Fadnavis heading to Delhi. "His goal is to create a developed Maharashtra, and he is determined to make it a leading state. Discussions on sensitive subjects like the CM's post should be held with the relevant party leadership before public comments," he stated.
Earlier calls for rotational CM post
Last week, after a three-hour meeting with Shinde, MLA Abdul Sattar had demanded the CM's chair for Shinde, alleging injustice by the BJP. He pointed out, "If a rotational CM post can happen in Bihar, why not Maharashtra? The BJP made Shiv Sena the number two party in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar." He added that Shiv Sena MLAs are restless and that both Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray should decide on a potential merger.
Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad supported Sattar's claim of injustice, alleging that BJP was interfering in his constituency and that senior BJP ministers were preventing him from raising public interest questions in the assembly.
