Will Eknath Shinde Be Replaced As Maha CM? Here's What BJP Says

Will Eknath Shinde be replaced as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra? No, says the BJP leaders from Maharashtra.

The question of replacement started doing rounds after Ajit Pawar along with eight other NCP MLAs joined the NDA. However, Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Wednesday said Shinde will continue as the CM.

He blamed the opposition parties for creating confusion. While addressing the media, Chandrashekhar Bawankule said, "All our senior leaders including Devendra Fadnavis have already told that Eknath Shinde will remain as CM. He is doing a good job for the state. Opposition parties are creating confusion."

Sources from the BJP have told Indian Express that the saffron party wants to fight the upcoming polls under the "trio". "The BJP wants to weaken the MVA (alliance of NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena) with the trio of Shinde, Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar. We want to fight both Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in 2024 under this leadership. We think it's a formidable force," a daily quoted top source as saying.

On asking Ajit Pawar's comment that he wants to be Maharashtra CM someday, the same source said, "What else could he have said when asked whether he wants to be CM."

However, Ajit Pawar's comment has made Shinde camp, which is anxiously awaiting the verdict on the disqualification complaint filed against its MLAs, nervous. Additionally, it has sparked speculation among a faction within the BJP that has expressed unease over Shinde being offered the position of CM despite leading a smaller group of MLAs.

Further adding to the pressure, the MLAs and MPs who switched allegiance to the Shinde camp from Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena (UBT) have grown impatient due to the delay in their representatives securing ministerial positions at the Centre, the report says.

On the other hand, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut already said that NCP leader Ajit Pawar will replace Eknath Shinde as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra.

Raut claimed that 16 MLAs who rebelled against Uddhav Thackeray will be "disqualified". "Today I am saying this in front of the camera, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra is going to change. Eknath Shinde is being removed. Eknath Shinde and the 16 MLAs are going to be disqualified," ANI quoted Raut as saying.

In June 2022, Eknath Shinde launched a rebellion against the party. The majority of MLAs sided with him, which led to the collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA-comprising the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress) government led by Uddhav Thackeray.

Later, Shinde was sworn in as the 20th chief minister of Maharashtra, while Devendra Fadnavis took oath as the deputy CM.