Maharashtra govt formation: Eknath Shinde resigns as Maharashtra CM, asked to serve as caretaker CM

Eknath Shinde on Tuesday resigned as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Shinde arrived at the Raj Bhavan to meet Governor CP Radhakrishnan at around 11 am. Shinde has been asked to serve as the caretaker CM of the state for the time being. 

Deputy CMs Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar were also present at the Raj Bhavan. The ruling Mahayuti alliance, however, has not decided on who the Chief Minister of Maharashtra will be.

The term of the Maharashtra legislative assembly ends today. 

Before the Mahayuti leaders arrived at the Raj Bhavan, Shiv Sena spokesperson Sheetal Mhatre said that Marathas want Shinde to make a comeback as the CM. 

She added it was Shinde who successfully provided 10 per cent reservation to the Maratha community under the economically and socially backward category. Mhatre further said that Shinde helped the community through the Annasaheb Patil and Sarathi corporations due to which the Marathas backed Mahayuti in the elections. 

Meanwhile, the RSS and NCP are backing Devendra Fadnavis for the top job, stating that the BJP is the largest party in terms of strike rate. Leaders within the BJP also support Fadnavis because of his experience as an administrator and the leader of the masses. 

Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske said: "The Chief Minister of Maharashtra will be the leader of the Mahayuti. The government will be formed soon."

In the Maharashtra elections, the ruling Mahayuti alliance comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena and the NCP won a resounding majority at 230 seats. 

The BJP emerged as the largest party in the state with 132 seats. The Shiv Sena and the NCP bagged 57 and 41 seats respectively. The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) bloc comprising the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (SP) saw a crushing defeat in the assembly polls. 

The Shiv Sena (UBT) won just 20 seats and the Congress 16. NCP (SP) was decimated in this election as the party could win on only 10 seats. 

Congress veterans like Prithviraj Chavan and Balasaheb Thorat also bit the dust in Karad South and Sangamner seats respectively.  State Congress chief Nana Patole won from the Sakoli seat by a wafer-thin margin of 208 votes.