New Delhi [India]July 9 (ANI): Newly appointed Chief Minister of Maharashtra Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on Saturday.
This is Shinde’s first meeting with PM Modi after taking oath as the CM of Maharashtra.
Earlier today, Shine and Fadnavis held a joint press conference in the national capital.
Shinde said, ‘Maharashtra has a strong government. We have 164 MLAs while the opposition has 99. My government will complete its term. We will win the next election too.”
He further said that during the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) regime the existence of Shiv Sena MLAs was in danger and hence they revolted against the alliance.
“The existence of our MLAs came under threat under the MVA government. Then we could not speak, so we took this step. Only a natural alliance of BJP and Shiv Sena can take Maharashtra forward.
Deputy CM Fadnavis insisted that Eknath Shinde is the leader of the new Maharashtra government.
“My party had made me the chief minister earlier. Now according to the need of the party, we have followed the decision of the party. Eknath Shinde is our leader and CM. We will work under him. Injustice was undone and our natural alliance was revived,” Fadnavis said.
Ahead of the press conference, Shinde and Fadnavis held a meeting with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president JP Nadda on the cabinet expansion and cabinet seat sharing formula between the BJP and Shiv Sena, sources said.
The meeting, which lasted for about 40 minutes, took place at Nadda’s residence in the national capital. According to sources, the BJP has offered 11 ministerial posts to the Shinde faction in initial talks and suggested that 29 ministers be from the party.
The Eknath Shinde faction of Shiv Sena is in favor of keeping the Home Department with the Chief Minister. However, no official information has been given in this matter yet.
This is Shinde’s first visit to the national capital as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Shinde and Fadnavis also met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday.
Sources said the meeting with Shah lasted for four hours and the political situation in Maharashtra was also discussed. During the meeting with Shah, Shinde and Fadnavis discussed matters related to the state, including the formation of a new cabinet.
The meeting assumes significance as the Maharashtra cabinet is in talks for two-phase expansion, likely ahead of the presidential election on July 18.
Shinde took oath on June 30 as the new government’s chief minister and Fadnavis as the deputy chief minister of the new government after Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray resigned following a rebellion in his party.
Shine had led the rebellion and some independent legislators also joined it. Shinde had earlier said that a decision would be taken soon after discussing the cabinet expansion.
Sources said that more than a dozen people of Shinde camp could be made ministers.
Eight ministers of the Uddhav government had joined the rebellion along with Shinde. There are speculations that all of them can be made ministers again.
Shinde and Fadnavis also met Defense Minister Rajnath Singh at his residence in Delhi on Saturday. He also met President Ram Nath Kovind.
Shinde and Fadnavis are also expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the evening. After visiting the capital, Shinde will leave for Pune in a private plane.
The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction has moved the Supreme Court protesting the Maharashtra governor’s June 30 decision to invite BJP-backed Shinde-led MLAs to form the government in the state.
The matter will be heard in the Supreme Court on July 11. Referring to the Thackeray faction, Thackeray has said that no one can take the bow and arrow of the party.
In the meeting, he also discussed the possibility of giving ministerial posts to all the MLAs who were ministers in the Thackeray government.
Shinde won the floor test in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on July 4, the last day of the two-day special session of the House. In the 288-member House, 164 MLAs voted in favor of the confidence motion, while 99 voted against it. (ANI)
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