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Maharashtra’s caretaker CM Eknath Shinde drew raucous laughter from the crowd as he made evasive replies when asked if he will join the new government as one of the deputies to Devendra Fadnavis
Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde with NCP chief Ajit Pawar during a press conference, at Mumbai on December 4. (Image: PTI/Shashank Parade)
Maharashtra’s caretaker chief minister Eknath Shinde, who finally accepted the post of deputy to Devendra Fadnavis, was in high spirits at Mahayuti’s joint press conference after the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP together staked claim to form the new government on Wednesday.
Shinde drew raucous laughter from the crowd, as well as from CM-elect Fadnavis and NCP chief Ajit Pawar, as he made evasive replies on whether he will join the government. He also did not shy away from joking about NCP chief Ajit Pawar’s considerable “experience” as deputy CM.
Asked if he and Ajit Pawar will take oath as deputy CMs during the swearing-in ceremony on Thursday (December 5), he told reporters: “Arey, abhi toh kahaa, Devendra ji bhi keh rahey hain, main bhi keh raha hun. Ruko zara shaam tak, shapath grahan toh kal hai na… (Devendra ji just told you, I too said wait till evening, the oath taking is tomorrow).”
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To this, Pawar interjected and said he was going to take oath (as deputy CM), drawing laughter. “Shaam tak inka samajh aayega, main toh lene wala hun (we’ll know about what he wants by evening, but I’m definitely going to take oath).”
In the same vein, Shinde, who was CM from July 2022, quipped: “Dada has experience of taking oath…shaam ko bhi shapath lete hain, subah mein bhi lete hain (He has experience. He can take oath in the morning as well as in the evening.”
He was apparently referring to Pawar’s early morning oath-taking as Fadnavis’s deputy when the BJP and an NCP faction led by him formed a short-lived government in 2019. Both the leaders were seen sharing a laugh in good spirt even as Fadnavis looked on.
In 2019, Pawar was unable to manage the support of enough NCP MLAs to align with the BJP. Following this, a government of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) — undivided Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress — was then formed with Uddhav Thackeray as CM. Pawar was the deputy CM in this government as well.
Both Shinde and Pawar have backed Fadnavis for CM while the latter has agreed to be one of the deputies. But, Shinde’s silence on his new role remains a thorn in the side. And if he does not decide by evening as he has said he will, the suspense could travel forward to the day of the oath taking.
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At the joint press conference, Fadnavis said besides the Sena and NCP, Rashtriya Samaj Paksha, Jansurajya Shakti Party, Yuva Swabhiman Paksh’s Ravi Rana and two other independent MLAs have given him letters of support.
The swearing-in will take place at Azad Maidan ground in south Mumbai at 5.30 pm on Thursday, to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several Union ministers besides CMs of NDA-ruled states.
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Pawar said the new government will function unitedly, while Shinde said he was satisfied with his tenure during which welfare measures and development agenda were pursued in a balanced way.
“We will work as a team. Our responsibility has grown because of the huge mandate,” he said. The Mahayuti coalition won last month’s assembly elections by a landslide, bagging 230 of 288 seats.
(With PTI inputs)
