Ahead of a formal decision by the ruling MahaYuti on the chief ministerial choice, the ruling Shiv Sena (SS) MP Naresh Mhaske said on Monday that the BJP should adopt the Bihar pattern and appoint its founder-president Eknath Shinde as the next chief minister of Maharashtra.

In a demand apparently orchestrated by Eknath Shinde himself, Mhaske – who is a close aide of Shinde – rooted for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) appointing Shinde as the state’s next chief minister (CM) instead of its nominee Devendra Fadnavis who will in all likelihood be the JP Nadda-led party’s first and only choice for the CM’s post.

In a related development,  state BJP leader Pravin Darekar said that Fadnavis was the ideal chief ministerial  choice, as he was the most capable candidate to lead Maharashtra.

Interacting with the media ahead of the BJP central leaders’ meeting with the incumbent CM Eknath Shinde and his two deputies Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar to formalise the name of the next CM, Mhaske said: “We strongly believe that Mr Shinde will be appointed as the next CM of the state. This is because the MahaYuti fought the Assembly elections and got a massive mandate under Shinde’s leadership. As an ordinary worker of the Shiv Sena, I would like to see Shinde return as the chief minister of the state”.

In his elaboration, Mhaske said, “In Bihar, the BJP – which despite being the single largest party in the Assembly nominated  Nitish Kumar as the CM – should adopt the Bihar pattern and declare Shinde as the next chief minister of Maharashtra.

“The same was the case with Haryana where Nayab Singh Saini was appointed as the CMr after he led the BJP to victory.