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Nearly two years after Devendra Fadnavis became Maharashtra’s chief minister, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena continues to harbour hopes of seeing their leader return to the chair, with the party now considering increasing its numbers by 2029, when the next Assembly election is scheduled.

Sarnaik also claimed that seeing Eknath Shinde return as chief minister is the people’s wish.

The remarks come nearly two years after the November 2024 Assembly elections, in which the BJP won 132 of the 288 seats, compared with 57 won by the Shinde-led Shiv Sena and 41 by then Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance retained power, and Devendra Fadnavis took the oath as the chief minister. Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar became his deputies. After Ajit Pawar died in a plane crash in Baramati, his wife Sunetra took the oath as the deputy chief minister.

Recently, Water Resources Minister Gulabrao Patil had also said that Shinde should become chief minister again, calling it the sentiment of party legislators. Patil said the party would work to increase its tally to make that possible.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena leader Sachin Ahir argued that Eknath Shinde need not wait for an increase in numbers and could become the chief minister even now.

The aspirations have brought the question of leadership within the ruling alliance back into public discussion.

It should, however, be noted that Sarnaik’s remarks do not amount to a formal demand or decision by the Mahayuti leadership to change the chief minister.