Shrikant Shinde, son of Maharashtra’s caretaker CM Eknath Shinde, denied rumors about him becoming the Deputy CM. He called the reports “baseless” and said he has no interest in power. Instead, he is focused on his Lok Sabha constituency.
The rumors started due to delays in the swearing-in ceremony of the Mahayuti government. Caretaker CM Eknath Shinde took two days off for rest because of health issues. This fueled the speculation. Shrikant Shinde addressed the issue on X, saying, “The swearing-in ceremony of the Mahayuti government has been delayed a bit, leading to widespread rumors and speculation… For the past two days, there have been reports suggesting that I will become the Deputy Chief Minister, but these claims are completely baseless and without any truth.”
महायुतीच्या सरकारचा शपथविधी थोडा लांबल्यामुळे सध्या चर्चा आणि अफवा यांचे पीक फोफावले आहे. काळजीवाहू मुख्यमंत्री मा. श्री एकनाथ शिंदे यांनी प्रकृती अस्वास्थ्यामुळे दोन दिवस गावी जाऊन विश्रांती घेतली. त्यामुळे अफवांना अधिकच बहर आला. मी उपमुख्यमंत्री होणार अशा बातम्या प्रश्नचिन्हे…
— Dr Shrikant Lata Eknath Shinde (@DrSEShinde) December 2, 2024
Shrikant Shinde also explained that he had the chance to join the Central Cabinet after the Lok Sabha elections. However, he declined the offer to focus on party work. He said, “I have no desire for power or positions in government. I want to clarify once again that I am not in the race for any ministerial position in the state government. My focus remains on working diligently for my Lok Sabha constituency and the Shiv Sena party.”
The formation of the new Maharashtra government has been delayed beyond the end of the previous Assembly’s term, which ended on November 26. This has sparked rumors. Some reports claimed that Eknath Shinde was unhappy with how things were progressing. Others suggested he was pushing for his son to be appointed Deputy CM. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena reportedly wanted the Home Ministry, but the BJP did not want to give it up.
BJP sources confirmed that Eknath Shinde will be the Deputy Chief Minister in the new government. The official announcement on the CM’s name is still awaited. The swearing-in ceremony will take place on December 5 at 5 pm at Azad Maidan, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi attending.
