Amid CM Post Tug-Of-War, Shiv Sena’s Eknath Shinde To Address Media Shortly

Shiv Sena leader and caretaker Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Eknath Shinde will address a press conference today at 3 pm. The media address comes after multiple reports suggest a plausible rift between the Mahayuti alliance partners on deciding the next CM of Maharashtra. The name of Devendra Fadnavis from the BJP’s side is being pushed as the face of Maharashtra, while Eknath Shinde and his faction have been asking to keep Shinde at the coveted post of the state. 

The agenda of the media address by Eknath Shinde has not been disclosed but it assumes importance as sources earlier told ABP News that the Shiv Sena leader may opt out of the Mahayuti alliance and give external support to the BJP to form a government in Maharashtra. 

Uncertainty has loomed since Saturday, Maharashtra counting day, with multiple reports suggesting that Devendra Fadnavis of BJP has remained a strong contender for the CM post despite multiple clarifications and pushes from Shiv Sena.  

The Mahayuti coalition secured a landslide victory in the recently concluded Maharashtra elections, winning 230 out of 288 assembly seats. The BJP led the charge with 132 seats, followed by the Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction with 57 seats and Ajit Pawar’s NCP with 41 seats. 

On the other hand, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) faced significant setbacks, with the Congress managing only 16 seats, Sharad Pawar’s NCP(SCP) winning 10 seats, and Uddhav Thackeray’s Sena (UBT) securing 20 seats.