Devendra Fadnavis and Eknath Shinde (file photos)
Mumbai: A new government in Maharashtra is shaping up from the fallen one with the BJP set to lead an alliance to govern the state once again, reports say.
Most of the Shiv Sena lawmakers that deserted chief minister Uddhav Thackeray teamed up with Opposition BJP, choosing the former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to the post.
After a week of high drama, escapades, hotel-stay, and spiteful exchanges between rivals, the man who led the revolt, Eknath Shinde will become the Deputy Chief Minister.
Ahead of swearing-in tomorrow, Fadnavis and Shinde are likely to meet Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari today to stake claim for power.
Uddhav Thackeray stepped down as Maharashtra Chief Minister yesterday after numbers on his side reduced to just 13 lawmakers alongside the Supreme Court asked him to prove strength in floor-test in the Assembly.
For over a week the governing Shiv Sena alliance was on the edge after a group of Sena lawmakers led by Ekanath Shinde suddenly fled the state holing up in hotel Assam's Guwahati.
Their itinerary ended in Guwahati after spending time in Gujarat's Surat and eventually they landed in Goa last evening with a plan to take floor-test.
The rebel lawmakers' spokesperson Deepak Kesarkar tried to put a veil of ideology over the political drama saying not power but ideology made them break with the Thackeray administration.
Admitting that negotiations with BJP to form government are underway, he called the speculations about 'portfolios' baseless.
He claimed the rebel faction is the Shiv Sena after Uddhav faction became a minority.
Obviously BJP pulled the strings from behind, guiding the revolt tensing up the Uddhav administration.
However, BJP leadership denied having played any role in the rebel coup.