Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024 | Who will become CM? Maha Yuti leaders in huddle with Amit Shah

New Delhi: A day after Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde cleared the decks for a chief minister from the BJP by expressing the unconditional support of his party, the leaders of the Maha Yuti got into a crucial huddle in the capital at the residence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah late Thursday night.

The chief ministerial face and allocation of plum portfolios were expected to be fleshed out in the meeting, even as MLAs continued to intensely lobby for ministerial berths.

BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis and NCP’s Ajit Pawar were already in the national capital, While Shinde flew down for the meeting today, which also had in attendance BJP president J P Nadda. Earlier in the day, Nadda held a meeting with Shah.

While there have been speculations that there were differences with Shinde’s faction of the Shiv Sena over the CM face, Shinde’s press conference ironed out the differences. As he landed in Delhi, he presented an united stance.

“At my press conference yesterday, I clarified my role – there are no obstacles regarding the Chief Minister of Maha Yuti. This ‘ladla bhai’ has arrived in Delhi and the ‘ladla bhai’ is a designation higher than anything else for me. A meeting will be held on everything,” Shinde told reporters.

While it is expected that the BJP is likely to declare Devendra Fadnavis as the CM face, with key Maha Yuti leaders indicating so, the party leaders remained tight-lipped about it. Some BJP leaders also indicated that if Fadnavis does not land the role, he could be given a significant position in the organisation.

The alliance is likely to repeat its arrangement of one CM and two deputy CMs, with Ajit Pawar likely to be one of the deputies. It remains to be seen whether Shinde agrees to be the other deputy.

Sources from within the alliance said that the BJP was keen on keeping home and administration, and the NCP on finance, with urban development, agriculture and water resources likely to go to the Shiv Sena. Alliance leaders said that a 21-10-12 formula for ministerial berths could be adopted with 21 going to the BJP, 10 to NCP and 12 to the Sena.

Ajit Pawar, who had already expressed his support to the BJP, told reporters in Delhi that the CM post was never for their taking. “Before we headed to the polls, we did not discuss the chief ministerial post, we did not want to affect our prospects. Our main target was to come to power and we did so,” Pawar said.

He added that the NCP was now looking at a national presence and that it will contest the Delhi assembly elections.