Shrikant Shinde, son of Maharashtra's caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, has denied rumors that he is in the race for the Deputy Chief Minister post. In a statement posted on X, Shrikant called the reports "baseless" and said he has no desire for power. He emphasized that his main focus is on his Lok Sabha constituency and not on any government position.

Shrikant Shinde posted on X:

“The swearing-in ceremony of the Mahayuti government has been delayed a bit, leading to widespread rumors and speculation. Caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde took two days off to rest due to health issues, which further fuelled these rumors. For the past two days, there have been reports suggesting that I will become the Deputy Chief Minister, but these claims are completely baseless and without any truth."

Focus on Lok Sabha constituency over ministerial post

Shrikant Shinde also explained that after the Lok Sabha elections, he was offered a chance to join the Central Cabinet, but he chose to decline it. Instead, he decided to focus on making the Shiv Sena party stronger. He once again made it clear that he is not interested in taking any ministerial position in Maharashtra's state government.

“I have no desire for power or positions in government. I want to clarify once again that I am not in the race for any ministerial position in the state government. My focus remains on working diligently for my Lok Sabha constituency and the Shiv Sena party," he said.

Speculations surround the new Maharashtra government

There have been many rumors about the formation of the new Maharashtra government, which has been delayed until December. Some reports suggested that Eknath Shinde was unhappy with how things were going and wanted his son to become the deputy chief minister. However, sources from the BJP later confirmed that Eknath Shinde would become the deputy chief minister, but the name of the chief minister has not been officially decided yet.

The ceremony to officially swear in the new government will happen on December 5 at Azad Maidan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend the event.