Shiv Sena leaders urge Eknath Shinde to become Deputy Chief Minister

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], December 5 (ANI): Shiv Sena leader and former Cabinet Minister, Deepak Kesarkar confirmed that the MLAs from Shiv Sena requested Eknath Shinde to accept the post of Deputy Chief Minister.
Speaking to ANI, Kesarkar said, "All the MLAs of Shiv Sena met Eknath Shinde last evening and requested him to be a part of Maharashtra cabinet and accept the post of deputy CM..."
The former minister of Marathi language said the the Shiv Sena leader will "positively" consider the position and requested PM Narendra Modi and HM Amit Shah to send a message regarding the same.
Kesarkar said, "He said that he would consider it positively and he (Eknath Shinde) always listens to PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. If a message comes from there, it will be very good and he will always consider their decision."
Kesarkar said that the even the Devendra Fadnavis accepted the post when asked and that the ideologies of both the parties are the same. "Even Devendra Fadnavis accepted the post of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister after the central leadership of BJP insisted (in 2022). Our parties are different but principles and ideologies are the same...The cabinet expansion should take place before the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly", he said
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Shirsat also emphasised that Eknath Shinde would take up the post of Deputy CM as the MLAs wanted him to do so
" Eknath Shinde will listen to our request and he will take oath as Deputy CM, we believe that...he is our leader and we want him to take the oath as Deputy CM...we all are going to Eknath Shinde, we will convince and get him ready for the oath-taking," Shirsat said.
According to the Shiv Sena sources, Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar are set to take oath as Deputy Chief Ministers of Maharashtra, alongside Devendra Fadnavis, who will assume the role of Chief Minister.
This development comes after Fadnavis was unanimously elected as the Leader of the Maharashtra BJP Legislative Party. The trio met with Governor CP Radhakrishnan to stake their claim to form the Mahayuti government.
The oath-taking ceremony is scheduled to take place tomorrow, December 5, at 5:30 pm, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in attendance.
The 2024 Maharashtra election saw BJP led Mahayuti fovernment come out on top and by winning 235 out of 288 seats. (ANI)