JOIN USThe face of middle-class, BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis, a master-planner and orator par excellence with ‘Mr Clean’ image, will be sworn in as the 27th Chief Minister of Maharashtra on Friday at an impressive ceremony at the Wankhede Stadium here.
However, the Shiv Sena is unlikely to join the BJP-led government at this stage and power-sharing agreement is yet to be clinched.
Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray has chaired a series of meetings over the last two days with his close aides – but a convincing deal is yet to be arrived at.Shiv Sena leaders and MLAs, as of now, have decided to refrain from attending the event.
Fadnavis, 44, would be sworn in with a compact group of ministers of the BJP and other allies and independents would not be taken on-board pending negotiations with the Shiv Sena.
Fadnavis, a four-term MLA from Nagpur, will be administered the oath of office by Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several of his Cabinet colleagues, BJP President Amit Shah, chief ministers of BJP-ruled states, corporate leaders, Bollywood stars, sportspersons and other celebrities. Fadnavis on Thursday visited New Delhi and met Modi, Shah and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari – to finalise the portfolios.
A small Cabinet of around ten ministers, including state BJP Core Committee members Eknath Khadse, Sudhir Mungantiwar, Vinod Tawde and Pankaja Munde, would be sworn in. Some Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe MLAs are also likely to be inducted.
The ministry’s expansion would be taken up once the BJP wins a trust vote. The Sharad Pawar-led NCP has extended “unconditional outside support” and decided to abstain during the vote of confidence – in favour of BJP, but the saffron party is yet to take a call on the offer of NCP.
“Talks with Shiv Sena going on very amicably. No outcome yet. Seems unlikely Shiv Sena will be part of government as of now,” BJP general secretary Rajiv Pratap Rudy said. However, another general secretary Om Prakash Mathur said: “No proposal has come so far from the Shiv Sena.”
Shiv Sena leader Vinayak Raut said that several of Shiv Sena MLAs and leaders feel that the party is not getting enough respect. “As of now we have decided not to go....but by tomorrow if things are favourable, we may change our decision,” he said.
Sena MP and spokesman Sanjay Raut said, “positive talks” were on between the two parties. “We wholeheartedly welcome the new Chief Minister of Maharashtra… We are confident that with Narendra (Modi) in Delhi and Devendra (Fadnavis) in Maharashtra, nobody can prevent ‘achhe din’ (good days) from coming to Maharashtra,” the Shiv Sena said in an editorial that appeared in mouthpieces – ‘Saamna’ in Marathi and its Hindi version ‘Dophar ka Saamna’.