Maharashtra CM buzz: Raut says Fadnavis could move to Delhi, Bawankule may fill in | Mumbai News

Raut also ruled out Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde returning as chief minister.

“Eknath Shinde will not become chief minister again, absolutely not,” he said, while also dismissing the possibility of senior BJP leader Girish Mahajan emerging as a contender.

Rohit Pawar, however, offered a different reading of the political situation.

“Shinde’s weight has increased both in Maharashtra and in Delhi. Senior BJP leaders are backing him,” Pawar said, suggesting that the deputy chief minister remained a strong contender if a vacancy were to arise.

The remarks come amid repeated claims by Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders, including Aaditya Thackeray, that Fadnavis could eventually be assigned responsibilities in Delhi.

BJP leaders, however, brushed aside the speculation.

Minister Girish Mahajan and senior BJP MLA Sudhir Mungantiwar mocked Raut’s remarks, saying they did not believe the BJP leadership shared its internal decisions with the Shiv Sena (UBT) MP.

“We don’t think the BJP leadership informs all its decisions to Sanjay Raut,” Mahajan said sarcastically.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena MLC Bacchu Kadu backed an entirely different formula.

“Devendra Fadnavis should go to Delhi and take up national responsibilities, while Eknath Shinde should lead Maharashtra,” Kadu said in Nagpur.

“Eknath Shinde’s rebellion brought the BJP back to power in Maharashtra. Therefore, if Fadnavis goes to Delhi, the leadership of the state should go to Shinde on moral grounds, irrespective of numbers,” he said.

Kadu also took a swipe at Raut’s prediction.

“Sanjay Raut’s predictions have rarely come true. I don’t know which astrologer he consulted before making this forecast,” he said.

The BJP has so far dismissed speculation about Fadnavis moving to Delhi and maintained that there is no proposal under consideration for a change in leadership in Maharashtra.