Eknath Shinde will be the new Chief Minister of Maharashtra, said BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis during a press conference on Thursday. The announcement came after Fadnavis and Shinde met Governor B S Koshyari at Raj Bhavan in Mumbai. Shinde will be sworn in as CM at Raj Bhavan at 7.30 pm today.
Nobody will be permitted to be at the swearing-in ceremony as there is no overhead cover at the venue and it is raining a lot, says Devendra Fadnavis
I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah as they made a party worker the chief minister of the state, says Shinde.
Shinde says that the MLAs had approached Uddhav Thackeray with their constituency’s grievances and development work, advising him on the need to improve or else it would be difficult to win the elections. “We demanded a natural alliance with the BJP,” he says.
Shinde says that he is committed to Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb’s Hindutva and to the development work in the constituencies of our MLAs. “We have 50 MLAs with us,” he adds.
Eknath Shinde says the decision that taken by his faction is committed to outfit founder Balasaheb Thackeray’s Hindutva and for the development work in the constituencies of the MLAsm.
Devendra Fadnavis says the Cabinet would be expanded and Shiv Sena and BJP leaders would be sworn in later. “I will stay out of the government,” he adds.
Uddhav Thackeray resigned from the CM post last night after a days-long political tussle in the state.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut had said that Maharashtra has lost a sensible and cultured chief minister in Uddhav Thackeray who has stepped down gracefully.
Stating that he was not interested “in playing the numbers’ game,” Thackeray on Wednesday night said he was resigning as the chief minister. “The chief minister (Uddhav Thackeray) has gracefully stepped down. We have lost a sensible and cultured chief minister,” Raut tweeted.
He said they will take forward the legacy of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray and are ready to go to jail. “The end of traitors is never good and history can prove this. Now, it is the beginning of a massive win of Shiv Sena. We will face the baton, go to jail but will keep alive Balasaheb Thackeray’s Shiv Sena,” he said.
Raut also said he was grateful to NCP chief Sharad Pawar for persuading Uddhav, son of Bal Thackeray, to take charge as the CM in 2019. “Pawar provided his guidance. When his (Uddhav Thackeray’s) own people (rebel Sena MLAs) were backstabbing him, Pawar remained firmly behind Uddhav,” he said.
Raut added that Congress leaders always remained with the government. “Power comes and goes, and nobody is here permanently to remain in power”. He also said that there will be justice for sure.
