Key meet in Delhi tonight to decide Maharashtra Chief Minister

Devendra Fadnavis or Eknath Shinde – who will be the next Maharashtra Chief Minister? That is the question that has been on the minds of political pundits and voters of Maharashtra since the state’s assembly election results came out on November 23.

The Mahayuti alliance is expected to announce their pick soon with caretaker Maharashtra CM Shinde, Devendra Fadnavis, Ajit Pawar and Union Minister Amit Shah meeting in Delhi on Thursday night.

The meeting will likely lead to a decision on who will be the next chief minister of Maharashtra – likely to be Devendra Fadnavis.

Despite vociferous demands from Shiv Sena leaders that Shinde should have a go at another term at the top post, he made it clear on Wednesday that he has told PM Modi and Shah that he would abide by the BJP’s choice for the post.

A close aide of Shinde said on Thursday that he is unlikely to accept the post of deputy CM in the new dispensation. Sanjay Shirsat, an MLA and spokesperson of the Shiv Sena, however, said Shinde would be a part of the cabinet. “He is unlikely to be a deputy chief minister. It does not befit a person who has already served as chief minister,” Shirsat told PTI.