Eknath Shinde agrees to be dy CM after Devendra Fadnavis calls on him | India News

MUMBAI: In a breakthrough in power-sharing talks between BJP and Shiv Sena, Eknath Shinde has agreed to join the new Mahayuti govt and will likely be one of two deputy CMs to be sworn in on Thursday in a govt that could be led by BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis, a Sena neta close to Shinde said after Fadnavis met the caretaker CM at his official Varsha residence on Tuesday evening.
The face-to-face interaction between Fadnavis and Shinde took place six days after they were in New Delhi for a meeting with Union home minister Amit Shah. Sources said Fadnavis visited the CM’s official residence to convince Shinde to join the govt.
Read also: Changed Mahayuti dynamics? Ajit Pawar’s NCP seeks parity with Shinde’s Sena
Sena sources said BJP’s central observers, Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman and former Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani, will meet Shinde after the election of BJP’s legislature party leader on Wednesday. The final power-sharing formula will be discussed in their presence. The CM-designate and the two deputy CMs (other being Ajit Pawar) will also meet the governor.

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Only Maha CM, 2 dy CMs set to take oath tomorrow
The CM-designate and the two deputy CMs (the other being Ajit Pawar) will also meet the governor CP Radhakrishnan on Wednesday and stake claim to form govt. A Sena functionary said only the CM and two deputy CMs are likely to take oath on Thursday and a wider cabinet will come in only once the final power-sharing formula is decided. “So far, no decision has been taken on portfolios, including the home portfolio (which Shinde has been demanding). Those discussions are ongoing and will only be concluded after govt formation,” the Sena functionary said.
Read also: ‘Health issues’ or ‘big decision’? Shiv Sena leaders add to ‘Maha’ suspense as Shinde visits his village
Sena also wants to retain all the nine ministries it held earlier, including the industries and urban development portfolios.
NCP’s Ajit Pawar, who is still in New Delhi, was not present for the Shinde-Fadnavis meeting. Shinde had said the power-sharing formula (barring the CM’s post) would be decided in a meeting of the three Mahayuti netas. However, Fadnavis’s meeting is seen as all-important as it came just a day before election of BJP’s legislative party functionary and the swearing-in of the Mahayuti govt on Thursday. The meeting lasted around 45 minutes.
Earlier in the day, BJP’s Girish Mahajan met Shinde and Sena’s Uday Samant met Fadnavis at the latter’s Sagar residence. Samant took a dig at BJP, saying the Sena learnt about the Dec 5 swearing-in of the Mahayuti govt from the state BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule’s post on X. Sena’s Gulabrao Patil too reiterated his party wanted Shinde to become CM at least till the local body polls or to get the DCM’s post with the home portfolio.
Read also: NCP seeks ministerial posts equal to Sena in new cabinet
On Tuesday afternoon, Shinde drove to Jupiter Hospital in Thane for medical tests. “He has been complaining of fever and throat infection and was being treated at home for the last two days by a physician from the hospital. He decided to undergo a few tests, including a CT scan, on Tuesday, following which he was driven to Jupiter Hospital,” a close relative told TOI. Shinde, who seemed calm and unruffled while at the hospital, responded to media queries on his health, saying he was “all okay” before he left for Mumbai. Mahajan said he met Shinde also late on Monday and is said to have updated him about the swearing-in ceremony preparations at Azad Maidan.