THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
Mumbai, Nov 26: Three days after the announcement of the assembly election results, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde met Governor C P Radhakrishnan on Tuesday morning and submitted his resignation.
The governor asked Eknath Shinde to continue as caretaker chief minister until the new CM is sworn in, as uncertainty persists over the ruling Mahayuti coalition’s choice for the role after its sweeping victory.
Eknath Shinde visited the Raj Bhavan accompanied by Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar.
The tenure of the current Maharashtra assembly concludes on November 26 and Eknath Shinde will remain the caretaker Chief Minister until the new CM is sworn in.
Also Read- Jharkhand Weather: Min. temp. drops to 9°C in Gumla
According to sources, Devendra Fadnavis’s name for the new Chief Minister seems very likely. Ajit Pawar had also held a meeting with newly elected NCP legislators at his residence on Sunday, where he expressed his support for Fadnavis. NCP sources suggest that if Fadnavis is elected as the leader of the BJP legislative party and appointed as the Chief Minister, the NCP will offer its support.
On the other hand, Shiv Sena leaders argued that the state assembly elections were contested under the leadership of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and thus his contribution to the Mahayuti’s victory should not be overlooked. Meanwhile, BJP leaders stated that the decision regarding Maharashtra’s next Chief Minister will be made by Prime Minister Modi and the BJP’s parliamentary board.
While the new Chief Minister’s identity will be clear only after the official announcement, it is expected that the new government will have two Deputy Chief Ministers, one from Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) and the other from NCP (Ajit faction).