Maha political crisis: Eknath Shinde assuages MLAs amid unease

Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday skipped a scheduled function that was attended by President Droupadi Murmu and rushed back to Mumbai where he met his lawmakers, many of whom have publicly expressed unhappiness with the recent induction of deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and several legislators close to him.

Shinde told his MLAs that he was assured by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) – the largest constituent in the three-party ruling coalition — that he would be chief minister till 2024, according to a senior leader present at the meeting.

“State BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule has already said that I will continue to be the chief minister till 2024,” Shinde said, according to the leader cited above.

The CM cut short his visit to Nagpur and skipped the functions in Nagpur and Gadchiroli on Wednesday and spent the day closeted at his official residence, holding parleys with party colleagues.

Several Shiv Sena MLAs have been unhappy after Ajit Pawar split the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and joined the government on Sunday, taking oath as deputy CM along with eight loyalists.

On Tuesday, Sena lawmakers Sanjay Shirsat, Bharat Gogawale and school education minister Deepak Kesarkar questioned the BJP’s decision to add a new ally and alleged that they were not taken into confidence.

“We had a full majority so where was the need to do this?” asked Shirsat. Gogawale said he was agitated because his political rival, the NCP’s Aditi Tatkare, was sworn in as a minister on Sunday.

“I am the natural claimant for the post of guardian minister of Raigad once I am sworn in as the minister,” he had said.

The Sena lawmakers fear that their chances of getting ministerial berths have dipped with the entry of Ajit Pawar. They also are wary of Ajit Pawar getting the finance portfolio again. When Sena lawmakers rebelled against Uddhav Thackeray last year, one of the reasons they cited was Ajit Pawar – who also held the finance portfolio in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government — not giving them enough funds for their constituencies.

Shinde assured them that Ajit Pawar would not do such thing this time around, and added that he was the CM and could ensure that their demands were met, said people aware of developments.

He also said that they should see the NCP’s entry as a political adjustment, and concentrate on building the party as well as winning the next elections, the people cited above added.

Shinde also pulled up excise minister Shambhuraj Desai, who said on Tuesday that if Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Thackeray gave them a call to return, they would respond, according to the people cited above.

Shinde said that they separated from Shiv Sena (UBT) and there was no question of going back.