Did Fadnavis Reveal Mahayuti’s CM Face? Here’s What We Know

Maharashtra will be polling on November 20, and the counting will be done on November 23 with the results announced the same day. With no CM face emerging till now from either of the alliances, the key question on many minds is: who will be Mahayuti’s CM Face?

At a recent joint press conference in Mumbai, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar showcased the ruling alliance’s performance report.

Fadnavis addressed the question directly, saying that the Mahayuti did not need to publicly name a candidate for the chief ministerial position, as “our chief minister is sitting here,” clearly referring to Shinde.

Mumbai: Maharahstra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis says, "Maha Vikas Aghadi is not announcing the CM face because they don't think their CM can come after the elections. We don't need to announce the CM's face, our CM is sitting here. I challenge Pawar Sahab to declare their face… https://t.co/sx4BPQP2lt pic.twitter.com/2TGWYET59H

— ANI (@ANI) October 16, 2024

Fadnavis Challenges MVA to Announce Their CM Candidate

Fadnavis asked the opposition leader Sharad Pawar and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) to reveal their chief ministerial candidate. He stated, “I challenge Pawar Saheb (Sharad Pawar) to announce their face for the CM post. The MVA is hesitant to announce a CM face as they don’t believe their candidate can succeed in the elections.”

Last month, Sharad Pawar responded by downplaying the importance of naming a CM candidate before the election. He remarked that the MVA would contest the election under a collective leadership approach, stating, “Who should lead should be decided according to the numbers. There is no need to make any arrangements before elections.”

Eknath Shinde: ‘Our Work Is the Face of Our Alliance’

Eknath Shinde further elaborated on the Mahayuti’s strategy, emphasizing that their record of governance would speak for itself. He said, “Our two years of work and performance is the face of our alliance. The MVA should announce their face as the leader of the opposition.” Shinde expressed pride in presenting the government’s performance report card, noting that it reflected the alliance’s achievements over the past two years.

Shinde added that preparing such a detailed report card would have been impossible without a solid record of governance, indirectly challenging the MVA to do the same.

This is What Uddhav Thackeray Said

Earlier, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray had said that the MVA would announce their CM face only after Mahayuti announces theirs. This back-and-forth underscores the heightened political competition as the election date nears.

Mahayuti vs. MVA: Understanding the Alliances

The Mahayuti alliance comprises the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Ajit Pawar’s faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and the Shiv Sena faction led by Eknath Shinde. On the other hand, the MVA alliance includes the Indian National Congress, Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT), and the NCP faction led by Sharad Pawar.

With both alliances vying for control, the question of Mahayuti’s CM Face remains central to the political discourse. Here’s a quick breakdown:

Mahayuti: BJP, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction), NCP (Ajit Pawar faction)MVA: Congress, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction), NCP (Sharad Pawar faction)

As the election season intensifies, both alliances continue to promote their leadership and track record, hoping to sway voters and capture Maharashtra’s political landscape. Will the Mahayuti’s CM Face be formally announced, or will the alliance continue to project their performance as their strongest candidate? Only time will tell.