'Our CM is sitting here...': Fadnavis on Mahayuti's CM face
Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said that the Mahayuti alliance doesn't need to announce its candidate for Maharashtra's chief minister post. "Our chief minister is sitting right here," he said at a press conference with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar. He also dared the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) to announce their candidate, implying they aren't confident in their leadership.
Fadnavis criticizes MVA, highlights Mahayuti's achievements
Fadnavis took a dig at the erstwhile MVA government, accusing them of corruption and misconduct. He also spoke about Mahayuti's achievements and plans for the elections, listing a number of schemes and financial provisions already in place. "We have already rolled out several schemes, made financial provisions, and set the budget for these programs," he said. Chief Minister Shinde reiterated these sentiments at the press conference.
Mahayuti releases report card ahead of elections
As Maharashtra gears up for the upcoming Vidhan Sabha elections, the Mahayuti government released a report card highlighting their achievements. The elections will be a major battle between the Mahayuti and MVA alliances. The political scene in Maharashtra has changed drastically since the 2019 Vidhan Sabha elections due to factional splits in both Shiv Sena and NCP.
Maharashtra politics: A timeline of events
In 2019, BJP won 26.1% votes, while Congress, NCP, and Shiv Sena got 16.1%, 16.9%, and 16.6% respectively. BJP and Shiv Sena had formed a government under the National Democratic Alliance but a political crisis over power-sharing disagreements led to President's rule being imposed in Maharashtra. In November 2019, a new coalition, Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), emerged with Uddhav Thackeray as chief minister with NCP and Congress's support.
Shinde's rebellion and formation of new alliance
However, Thackeray resigned in June 2022 after a rebellion in Shiv Sena by Eknath Shinde. Shinde formed a new alliance with BJP and became chief minister with Fadnavis as his deputy. The upcoming election will be the first direct contest between these coalitions since the splits in both the Shiv Sena and NCP.
