Why Eknath Shinde selected as CM not Fadnavis?

Shiv Sena's rebel leader Eknath Shinde said that he has come with the BJP for the development of Maharashtra. Former Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis have announced that Eknath Shinde will be the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. In the press conference, Eknath Shinde alleged that there were many issues while in the government and he was not able to work properly while the government, so this decision had to be taken.

“We had a natural alliance with the BJP and it was becoming difficult to work in Maha Aghadi,” he said. He said, "I was a minister and I was not lacking in any way, but when people told me their concerns then I had to think to take this decision." He claimed that he had tried several times to convey his concern to Uddhav Thackeray, but things did not work out. He praised Fadnavis and said, "Fadnavis has shown his big heart."

Fadnavis made the announcement at a joint media briefing today. The BJP leader also said that he would not be a part of the Shinde-led government. "I will not be part of the government. After the swearing-in ceremony today, the cabinet will expand and leaders of Shiv Sena and BJP will take the oath. I will be out of the government," Fadnavis told reporters, adding that the Shiv Sena MLAs were demanding that Congress and NCP The alliance with the BJP should be terminated, but Uddhav Thackeray ignored them and preferred MVA alliance partners, so these MLAs raised their voices.

BJP's move to make Shinde CM also comes with an unspoken message to other 'family parties'. It is an invitation to all possible Eknath Shinde in these parties: "get together and rebel, the BJP will support you".

The Deputy Speaker of the Maharashtra Assembly suspended 16 MLAs on the advice of the Shiv Sena leadership. The status of these MLAs is still subjudice with the Supreme Court hearing the matter.

Even if the suspension had been lifted, the status of the entire group of rebels would still be uncertain. The anti-defection law makes it difficult for a group of rogue MLAs from a party to form an independent bloc, even if they represent more than two-thirds of the party's total number of MLAs.

Since the beginning of the Shinde rebellion, according to media reports, there are two groups even within the MLA rebel camp. This became even clearer as the group grew larger.

As more MLAs joined, the group that was open to open rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray and merging with the BJP began to become more marginalized. And the priority became to somehow preserve their identity as Shiv Sainiks.

There may be doubts in the BJP about the reliability of a section of Sena's MLAs. There was a fear that a section of the MLA might back down if it came to a total split with the Seine leadership.

At the same time, the move must also be seen in the context of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Even if the Sena rebels overcame legal challenges and a BJP-led government was formed in Maharashtra, it would have pushed Uddhav Thackeray and much of from the Sena bases to the UPA field.

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