Shiv Sena leader Uday Samant said Eknath Shinde is not upset, and he left for in Satara district because he was down with fever and cold.

According to sources, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which emerged as the single largest party in the Maharashtra assembly election, is backing Devendra Fadnavis as the next CM and has been pushing for two deputy CMs - from Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party.

Mumbai: Maharashtra's caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday reportedly put forward three key demands during his meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi regarding the formation of a new government in the state.

Withdrawing himself from the Chief Minister's race, Eknath Shinde presented his report card and thanked the people of Maharashtra for the astounding victory of his alliance in the Assembly elections.

Eknath Shinde might not become deputy CM. He was the chief minister in the previous government. Shinde's aide said the position is not suitable for him. He will, however, join the cabinet. Shinde's Shiv Sena will choose another leader for the deputy CM role.

Eknath Shinde, who served as chief minister in the outgoing Maharashtra government, is unlikely to accept the post of deputy CM in the new dispensation, his close aide Sanjay Shirsat said on Thursday.

The BJP will likely give 12 Maharashtra cabinet berths, including three big-ticket portfolios, to the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena to make up for the Chief Minister post, according to sources.

The first thing the BJP can do beyond negotiating with the Sena leadership about its demand for portfolio is talking where Sena’s interest lies — the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), whose election is due next year.

As Devendra Fadnavis gears up to return as Maharashtra's Chief Minister, internal dissent brews within the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction). Eknath Shinde has reportedly pushed for his son, Shrikant Shinde,