Eknath Shinde: Worked as common man, so people want me back as Maharashtra CM

“I was the people’s Chief Minister. …Actually, I used to say that I was not just the Chief Minister but the Common Man. As a common man, I understood problems and pain suffered by the people and tried to address them. Since I worked as a common man, obviously people feel that I should become the Chief Minister,” Shinde said in response to a question regarding the demand in some sections in the state that he should hold the post again.

Shinde was speaking to reporters in his native village of Dare in Satara district, where he spent the last two days after meeting Shah on Thursday. After reaching Satara, he had complained of fever and throat pain and was put on saline on Saturday. Later on Sunday, he left for Thane.

Shinde also sought to remind the BJP central leadership that the Assembly elections were fought under his leadership. “The kind of success that the Mahayuti Government has secured has never been achieved by anyone in the past….The Assembly elections were fought under my leadership. Both the Deputy Chief Ministers and other colleagues were with me. We secured a big victory,” he said. “However, there should be no confusion… I held a press conference last week and clarified that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah will take the decision regarding the Chief Minister’s post. My party Shiv Sena and myself will support their decision… There should be no ifs and buts in anyone’s mind.”

On whether the Shiv Sena had demanded the Home portfolio, Shinde said, “All these things will be discussed. Through discussion, we will find a solution to various issues. Several issues will be resolved. People have elected us…We have made promises to the people and we will have to live up to those promises. Therefore, it is not important as to what ministries we will get and what they (allies BJP and NCP) will get…We will do what we can for the people of Maharashtra.”

Asked whether his son Shrikant Shinde will be made the Deputy Chief Minister, he said, “Discussions are still underway. The media keeps discussing it…We have already discussed the issues with Amit Shah. Now, the three allies will hold a meeting where we will discuss various issues… During our meeting, we will take an appropriate decision. We will take a decision in the interest of Maharashtra.”

“There is no lack of coordination or cooperation among the three parties of the Mahayuti alliance. The government will be formed as the Mahayuti has secured a full-fledged victory,” he said.

On his health status, Shinde said he was now feeling fine and had come home to rest after working relentlessly over the past two-and-a-half years and during the Assembly elections.

On the Opposition’s claims of EVM tampering, Shinde said, “They didn’t raise this topic when they won in the Lok Sabha elections or state elections like the recent Jharkhand polls. This (Maharashtra) win is the result of the love shown by young girls who benefitted from the Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojna, not EVM tampering.”

Shinde said the Mahayuti’s victory was the result of the welfare and development schemes implemented by his government. “No government in history has rolled out welfare schemes like ours, benefiting women, youth, and farmers. We have remained dedicated to public welfare,” he said.

He elaborated on the targeted approach of these schemes, explaining that they focused on young girls and boys from each family. “We built an ecosystem to ensure benefits reach every family, whether through the Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojna or stipends for the youth,” Shinde said.

Emphasising that his government created history in terms of the development works, Shinde said, “Our government was a historic one because of the amount of development work and welfare schemes that we implemented in two-and-half years. Our tenure will be written in golden letters.”