Devendra Fadnavis Hints Eknath Shinde as Mahayuti’s CM Face for Upcoming Maharashtra Assembly Elections

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Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis hinted on Wednesday that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is likely to be the ruling Mahayuti coalition’s face for the chief ministerial post in the upcoming state assembly elections. Fadnavis made this statement while addressing a joint press conference in Mumbai with Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, where they released the Mahayuti government’s two-year performance report.

Fadnavis stated, “The Mahayuti doesn’t need to announce a CM face, our chief minister is sitting here.” His comment signals Shinde’s potential continuation as the leader of the state if the ruling alliance secures victory. Taking a dig at the opposition, Fadnavis challenged Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar to announce their candidate, saying, “I challenge Pawar Saheb to announce their face for the CM post.”

This remark comes after Pawar recently said that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), the opposition coalition, would contest the elections under “collective leadership,” without naming a specific candidate for chief minister. “There is no need to announce a CM face before the elections. Who should lead should be decided according to the numbers,” Pawar had said earlier, suggesting that the decision would be made based on the election outcome.

Fadnavis criticized the MVA for not presenting a clear leader, suggesting that they are uncertain of their chances. “MVA is not announcing a CM face because they don’t think their CM can come after elections,” he added.

Maharashtra is set to go to the polls on November 20, with the results scheduled to be declared on November 23. The Mahayuti alliance, which includes the BJP, Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction, and Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction, is positioning itself as the strong contender in the upcoming elections, with Shinde’s leadership playing a crucial role in their campaign strategy.

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