Eknath Shinde to meet Amit Shah after oath ceremony over home portfolio: Shiv Sena

The Shiv Sena said on Thursday that Eknath Shinde will meet senior BJP leader Amit Shah after the oath ceremony to hold discussions on the Maharashtra home portfolio. The party’s remark came shortly after it announced that Shinde would take oath as the deputy chief minister of the state.

“After the swearing-in ceremony, Eknath Shinde will have a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and a decision will be taken regarding the home minister and other posts,” said Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Shirsat.

The Shiv Sena has been angling for the crucial home portfolio for Eknath Shinde.

Shinde had been vying for the CM post citing the BJP’s arrangement in Bihar with Nitish Kumar. He later relented and said his party would back the BJP’s CM pick.

Amid hectic power-sharing negotiations, he abruptly left Mumbai for Thane last Friday citing health issues. He, however, returned to the Maharashtra capital on Tuesday.

Yesterday, the BJP named Devendra Fadnavis as the Mahayuti’s CM face.

Eknath Shinde to take oath as deputy CM today

Shiv Sena leader Uday Samant today announced that Eknath Shinde would take oath as deputy chief minister of Maharashtra in Mumbai today.

BJP legislature party leader Devendra Fadnavis would take oath as chief minister, while Shinde and NCP chief Ajit Pawar would be sworn in as his deputies.

Samant’s announcement in the afternoon ended the uncertainty over Shinde’s role in the new Mahayuti government.

“Eknath Shinde is set to take oath as deputy chief minister. We had a discussion with Devendra Fadnavis, who provided us with a letter confirming that Shinde will join him as deputy CM. I am here to submit it to the governor,” Samant told reporters outside the Raj Bhavan.

The Mahayuti alliance won the Maharashtra assembly election in November, bagging 235 of the state’s 288 seats. The BJP emerged as the single-largest party with over 130 seats.

With inputs from PTI, ANI