NCP-SP leader Clyde Crasto on Wednesday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of using Ekanth Shinde to win the elections.
Speaking to ANI, Crasto said, "The whole issue of who is going to be the next Maharashtra CM is turning out to be a big question. During the elections, the BJP always said that they were contesting the elections with Eknath Shinde as the face of Mahayuti. Now when the time has come and he has also performed, and it is the time to make him the CM again, the party is talking about the Bihar model not being there and other issues. This clearly means they are using Eknath Shinde." Further, he said that injustice was being done to Shinde. "This is injustice to Shinde... Are they trying to say that he is not good enough to be the CM or are they trying to say that they did what they wanted to do, used him and now they want their man as the CM? Whatever it is they have got the mandate of the people and they need to respect it. They need to announce the Chief Minister who will lead Maharashtra prosperity," he added. Earlier, on November 26, Shiv Sena leader Shambhuraj Desai said that all the three leaders --Eknath Shinde, Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar--would sit together and hold discussions if the deadlock continues over the choice of name of next Chief Minister of Maharashtra. The election results for Maharashtra were announced on November 23 but the ruling BJP-led Mahayuti alliance is yet to decide on the Chief Minister. "Who would lead our Mahayuti and who would be the CM face of Mahayuti? Our three leaders, Eknath Shinde, Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, would sit together and discuss this. Whatever they decide will be accepted by all the MLAs of Mahayuti and the same decision will be implemented...," Shiv Sena leader Shambhuraj Desai told ANI. "Every party feels that a leader of their own party should get the CM post. If you ask me, as a Shiv Sainik, I would say that our main leader, Eknath Shinde,should get the CM post. The same goes for BJP leaders who want Devendra Fadnavis to get the post...But all three leaders will sit together and discuss. A solution would come out after discussions," he added. Meanwhile, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale on Tuesday said Devendra Fadnavis should lead the Mahayuti government as "people of Maharashtra want him" to be the next Chief Minister, and Eknath Shinde can be the Deputy CM or join the Modi government. (ANI)
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