Mumbai: Ending suspense, Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra Interim Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has decided to join the new Maharashtra government and will take oath as the Deputy Chief Minister.
This information was given by Shiv Sena leader and MLA Uday Samant.
A Shiv Sena said it was the request of all Shiv Sena MLAs that Eknath Shinde should remain in power and become Deputy Chief Minister. Devendra Fadnavis, who will take oath as the Maharashtra Chief Minister for a third time, had also requested Shinde to join his government.
During the press conference on Wednesday, a day before the swearing-in ceremony at the Azad Maidan in Mumbai, Shinde had said that he would take a decision soon.
NCP leader Ajit Pawar had already announced on Wednesday that he will take oath as Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister.
However, developments took place thick and fast on Thursday morning as senior BJP leader and MLA Girish Mahajan, who is known as a trouble-shooter, called on Shinde and urged him to join the government.
Shinde, who hails from Thane and represents the Kopri-Pachpakhadi Assembly constituency, caused a vertical split in the undivided Shiv Sena, founded by late Balasaheb Thackeray after he joined the Maharashtra government. Shinde kept the BJP and NCP guessing till late Thursday afternoon. In the 2024 Assembly polls, he defeated Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) candidate Kedar Dighe, nephew of late Anand Dighe. Late Anand Dighe was Shinde's mentor.
The Mahayuti comprising BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP retained power in Maharashtra. The BJP emerged as the single-largest party by winning 132 seats, while the Shiv Sena won 57 seats and NCP bagged 41 seats.
It is still not clear which portfolios Shinde would get in the government led by Devendra Fadnavis.
