The stalemate in Maharashtra politics continues ahead of the oath-taking ceremony slated for December 5. Amid this, caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was rushed to the hospital on Tuesday as his health showed no signs of improvement.
The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance won a resounding victory in Maharashtra which, however, triggered a deadlock in government formation. The coalition, formed by the Bharatiya Janata Party, Shiv Sena (Shinde) and NCP (Ajit Pawar), has still not picked a chief minister. Mahayuti has gone back and forth between BJP’s pick Devendra Fadnavis and Sena’s pick Shinde as the next chief minister of the state.
Shinde, on Tuesday, was taken to the Jupiter Hospital in Thane after being unwell for some time. Sources told News18 that Shinde’s medical team has called for tests to get a better picture of his condition.
Despite reports of his ailing health, the caretaker chief minister has claimed that everything is fine by saying ‘Sab Badiya Hai’.
Last week, Shinde visited his hometown in Satara where he fell ill and was suffering from a fever, cold, and throat infection, according to his family doctor RM Patre.
After his diagnosis, Shinde cancelled all the scheduled meetings with the Mahayuti bloc on the doctor’s recommendation to stay well rested.
This sparked reports of Shinde being dissatisfied with Mahayuti’s CM pick. However, they were dismissed by outgoing minister Uday Samant who said, “He isn’t upset. He is unwell. It’s unfair to say he went home because he was upset. He has always said he will fight for the welfare and development of Maharashtra.”
Shinde returned to Mumbai last week after his short trip to Satara. Fadnavis, on Monday, called up the caretaker chief minister to inquire about his health.
In Thane, Shinde dismissed all reports claiming he was not pleased with the BJP’s decision and reiterated that he would support the party’s call. He added that he will sit down with Fadnavis and Pawar to discuss the power-sharing formula.
Meanwhile, a stipulated video conference between the trio was expected to take place on Monday but did not pan out. Later, Fadnavis sent his aide Girish Mahajan to Shinde’s residence where they “did not talk about politics.”
Over the weekend, Shinde, however, told the Indian Express, “I was the people’s Chief Minister. …Actually, I used to say that I was not just the Chief Minister but the Common Man. As a common man, I understood the problems and pain suffered by the people and tried to address them. Since I worked as a common man, obviously people feel that I should become the Chief Minister.”
The suspense over who will be Maharashtra’s new chief minister will end on December 4, when the state BJP legislature party elects its new leader, a senior party functionary said on Monday.
Devendra Fadnavis, two-time former chief minister, is widely seen as the frontrunner for the top post. The meeting will be held Wednesday morning in Vidhan Bhawan, a party functionary said.
With inputs from agencies
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