The suspense over who will become Maharashtra Chief Minister after the Mahayuti’s mammoth victory in the state polls has entered its third day. The tenure of the 14th state Assembly ends today and incumbent Eknath Shinde will resign as Chief Minister. But the BJP-led alliance is yet to take a final call on who will get the top post.

BJP leaders want former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to become the Chief Minister, while Shiv Sena MLAs are rooting for Mr Shinde to continue. The Ajit Pawar-led NCP, it is learnt, has decided to back Mr Fadnavis. The BJP has 132 MLAs, the Sena has 57 and the NCP 41. This means that the BJP needs only one of its two allies to reach the magic figure of 145 in the 288-member Assembly. This leaves Mr Shinde with few bargaining chips for the Chief Minister post.

As the BJP leadership brainstorms on who will get the big post, a group of Sena leaders had planned to gather outside the Chief Minister’s official bungalow, Varsha, apparently as a show of strength for Eknath Shinde. But the Sena chief intervened and asked them not to. “After the great victory of the Mahayuti alliance, our government will be formed once again in the state. As a grand alliance, we contested the election together and are still together today,” he said on X. “Out of love for me, some people have appealed to everyone to gather together and come to Mumbai. I am deeply grateful for your love. But I appeal that no one should come together in my support in such a manner.” 

Sena Leader Refers To ‘Bihar Model’

Amid the suspense, Sena spokesperson Naresh Mhaske cited the ‘Bihar model’ to assert that Eknath Shinde should continue as chief minister even though BJP holds more seats in Assembly.

“We feel Shinde should be the chief minister, just like in Bihar where BJP did not look at the numbers but still made JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar the CM. Senior leaders of the Mahayuti (in Maharashtra) will ultimately take a decision,” Mr Mhaske told reporters yesterday.

Mr Mhaske also cited the Haryana example where the BJP stuck to incumbent Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini.

BJP’s Pravin Darekar, however, said the people had given a mandate to Devendra Fadnavis. “The people of Maharashtra stood behind Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In my opinion, Fadnavis should become the chief minister. Maharashtra needs an astute and academic leader. He kept the alliance united, gave our allies candidates, and even stepped back when required. He has always maintained coordination,” the MLC said. According to sources, BJP leaders are pushing for Mr Fadnavis for the top post and any other decision would demoralise the party ranks.

The BJP’s ideological parent RSS, which played a key role in its Maharashtra victory, also favours Mr Fadnavis, MLA from Nagpur South-West. The RSS will be celebrating its centenary next year and wants a BJP Chief Minister, it is learnt. 

A 2019 Repeat?

In the 2019 Maharashtra polls, long term allies BJP and the undivided Shiv Sena won 105 and 56 seats, respectively. But differences cropped up over the Chief Minister post. Soon after, Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray pulled the plug on the alliance and joined hands with NCP and Congress to form the government. This government was toppled when Mr Shinde led a rebellion that split the Sena.

Five years on, Mr Shinde is in a similar situation as his former boss. But there is a big difference. The BJP does not need Sena’s support to form the government as long as the NCP supports it. And the Ajit Pawar-led party, it is learnt, is already on board.

This leaves Mr Shinde with few options other than trying to get a good deal in the distribution of ministerial berths. Stepping back from the Chief Minister post will open Mr Shinde to barbs from the Opposition camps. Mr Thackeray has already taken a swipe, saying that Mr Shinde would have to “work under” Devendra Fadnavis in the new government.

Maharashtra Risks President Rule?

The delay in announcing the Chief Minister face has prompted reporters that President’s Rule may come into force if a new government was not in place before the term of the Assembly ends.

But a legislature official has junked these reports. The 15th Assembly is already in place after election officials submitted copies of the gazette with names of the newly-elected MLAs to Maharashtra Governor C P Radhakrishnan on Sunday, an official told news agency PTI. According to Section 73 of the Representation of the People Act, after submission of the notification about the members elected, it shall be deemed that the House has been duly constituted, the official said.

Pakistan’s army has been ordered to “shoot on sight” after clashes with demonstrators killed four soldiers and at least one protester, according to reports.

The violence erupted when protesters demanding the release of Pakistan’s jailed former premier Imran Khan entered the capital Islamabad late Monday, defying efforts by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government to stifle the nationwide demonstrations.  

Television networks reported that four paratroopers had been “martyred” and that the army, under Article 245, had been deployed and authorized to “shoot on sight.” 

Zulfi Bukhari, a spokesman for Khan’s political movement, said one of the marchers was killed and 20 others were wounded as the authorities confronted the protesters.

The authorities did not immediately comment on Bukhari’s statement, but earlier Monday they blamed the turmoil on Khan’s supporters, pointing out that a police officer had been killed and more than 119 hurt.

The largest convoy, led by the former prime minister’s allies from the northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, had removed roadblocks along the highway to Islamabad after authorities tried to disperse them with tear gas, according to Pakistani government officials.

Authorities earlier said hundreds of Khan’s followers in multiple cities had been arrested in the protests and skirmishes. Those injuries included gunshot wounds, according to Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.

The marches began Sunday at Khan’s encouragement. He remains in custody despite courts granting him bail or suspending sentences in some of the cases against him. 

Khan, a former cricket star, has been in jail for more than a year. He faces more than 150 cases related to his time as premier, from corruption to inciting violence and misuse of power.

All educational facilities were closed in Islamabad for security reasons, according to a notice from the local administration. The government has also suspended mobile phone services in some areas and banned gatherings of more than five people in the capital. 

Naqvi, the interior minister, told reporters Monday, after attending the funeral for the policeman, that dozens of officers were injured in Islamabad, two of them in critical condition, and that protesters set vehicles on fire. 

He signaled in a later briefing that he intended to hold Khan directly accountable, saying “those who gave the call for the protest and seconded it are responsible for policemen casualties.” Naqvi also said authorities would arrest protesters who try to near the capital’s so-called Red Zone, where top government offices and Parliament are located, as well as the president and prime minister’s residences and embassies. 

Usman Anwar, chief of police in Punjab province, told reporters that 119 policemen were injured in several incidents in the region, which is just to the south of capital. 

The fresh protests are a challenge for Sharif’s government, which has tried to focus on restructuring and reforming the country’s weak economy under a loan and reform program managed by the International Monetary Fund. 

The government estimates that the unrest causing is costing the economy about 144 billion rupees ($518 million) daily, according to finance minister Muhammad Aurangzeb.

In addition to his release, Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party wants Sharif’s government to reverse a new law that it says gives the government the power to interfere in judicial affairs. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

The president-elect said he plans to impose 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada and an additional 10% on China on his first day in office. 

​The president-elect said he plans to impose 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada and an additional 10% on China on his first day in office.