After Delhi, focus on Mumbai for Maharashtra govt formation

MUMBAI: Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde and senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis returned to Mumbai on Friday morning after the two and NCP's Ajit Pawar met Union Home Minister Amit Shah over Maharashtra government formation.

Talking to reporters in Delhi past Thursday midnight, Shinde called the discussions “good and positive”. He said their next meeting will take place in Mumbai on Friday.

The meeting is expected later in the day but nothing has been scheduled as of now, sources said.

Ajit Pawar is expected to return to Mumbai in the afternoon.

The BJP is yet to convene its legislature party meeting.

Shinde, Fadnavis and Pawar met Shah and BJP president J P Nadda late Thursday to thrash out a power-sharing pact for the next government in Maharashtra after the BJP-led coalition registered a thumping majority in the assembly elections.

“We will take a decision (on Maharashtra CM) in a day or two. We have held discussions, and the discussions will continue. You will get to know when we take a final decision,” Shinde told reporters in Delhi.

Shinde has said that he would not be an obstacle in the government formation in the state and abide by the decision taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah.

Recovering from its Lok Sabha elections losses, the BJP bagged 132 assembly seats, the highest among all constituents of the Mahayuti alliance. Shinde’s Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar's NCP won 57 and 41 seats, respectively.

The Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) suffered a setback, with the grand old party registering one of its worst performances in the state polls as it won only 16 seats. Sharad Pawar's NCP(SP) bagged just 10 seats, whereas Uddhav Thackeray's (UBT) won 20 seats.