Amid suspense over Mahayuti's choice for the next Chief Minister of Maharashtra, a leader of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has claimed that the Maratha community wants him to continue in the top post.
Shiv Sena spokesperson Sheetal Mhatre told reporters on Tuesday that it was desirable for Shinde to remain as Chief Minister, particularly with the upcoming local body elections in the state.
Despite the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance securing a massive victory, winning 230 seats in the 288-member assembly, a consensus has yet to be reached among the ruling combine’s leaders on who should be the next CM.
Mhatre pointed out that Shinde had successfully implemented a 10 per cent reservation for the Maratha community (under the economically and socially backward category) and had supported the community through the Annasaheb Patil and Sarathi corporations. She claimed this had led the community to back Mahayuti in the elections.
“The demand for a Chief Minister from the Maratha community is gaining strength,” she added.
While Shinde, who hails from the Satara district in western Maharashtra, belongs to the politically dominant Maratha community, BJP leader and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, considered the frontrunner for the CM’s post following the BJP’s strong performance in the elections, is a Brahmin from Nagpur.
Meanwhile, a group of women met Shinde on Monday to express their gratitude for the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, a scheme under which eligible women receive Rs 1,500 per month. The scheme is said to have played a key role in the ruling coalition's electoral success.
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