Did Fadnavis Just Confirm Eknath Shinde as Mahayuti's CM Face for Maharashtra Polls?

Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024: Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP ) leader Devendra Fadnavis hintedthat Eknath Shinde could be the chief ministerial face for the Mahayuti alliance in the upcoming Maharashtra elections. While addressing an event to release a report card on the government's performance, Fadnavis stated, "Our Chief Minister is sitting here," while flanked by Shinde and NCP's Ajit Pawar .

Fadnavis challenged NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar to declare the chief ministerial candidate for the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), saying, "We don't need to announce the chief minister's face." He suggested that the MVA's reluctance to name a candidate indicated doubts about their prospects in the elections.

As the most prominent BJP figure in Maharashtra , Fadnavis's comments come as seat-sharing discussions among ruling allies are reportedly in the final stages. His tactical phrasing aims to maintain harmony among allies, amid aspirations from both Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar for the chief minister's post.

Eknath Shinde , while not directly addressing the speculation, remarked that the government's achievements over the past two years should represent the alliance. He took a jab at the opposition, stating that the MVA should reveal its leader of the opposition.

The Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition, which includes the NCP (SP), Shiv Sena (UBT), and Congress , has similarly avoided naming a chief ministerial candidate. Uddhav Thackeray recently noted that the MVA would announce its candidate only after the Mahayuti does the same, emphasizing the wait-and-see approach among opposition parties.

Sharad Pawar has previously indicated that the chief ministerial face would depend on which party secures the most seats in the elections.

Maharashtra 's elections are set for November 20, with vote counting scheduled for November 23.