The conundrum over finalising the next Maharashtra Chief Minister continues after 10 days as caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde cancelled his meetings today as he was unwell. Earlier on November 29, the Shiv Sena leader cancelled a crucial meeting of Mahayuti, and unexpectedly left for his village in Satara district. Meanwhile, NCP leader Ajit Pawar headed to Delhi to meet with top BJP leadership over government formation.

Reportedly, Eknath Shinde, who was supposed to attend a meeting of Mahayuti leaders to finalise the portfolio allocations, is down with a throat infection and fever. The Shiv Sena leader did not return to his official residence, Varsha, and had been staying in his native village in Satara over the weekend. The meeting is scheduled to be held on Tuesday.

The Mahayuti alliance, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-led NCP, swept the November 20 Maharashtra Assembly election, winning 230 of 288 seats, the results of which were declared on November 23. The BJP secured a massive 132 seats, while Shinde Sena and NCP’s Ajit Pawar faction got 57 and 41 seats, respectively. Reportedly, Ajit Pawar may discuss the Maharashtra government formation and portfolio allocations with the top BJP leadership in Delhi today.

In another major development, Eknath Shinde’s son and Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde rejected reports of a demand for the Deputy Chief Minister post for him. Shrikant Shinde called the reports baseless rumours and said he was not in any race for any ministerial post in Maharashtra.

His clarification came after speculation arose that he would be considered for the Deputy Chief Minister’s post. Taking to X, Shrikant Shinde wrote that the swearing-in ceremony of the coalition government has been a bit delayed and currently there is a lot of discussion and rumours. He added that caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde went to the village for two days and rested due to ill health, and so the rumours flourished. 

He continued that the news that he will be the Deputy Chief Minister has no truth in it and is baseless. The Shiv Sena MP mentioned that he got the chance to become a Cabinet minister after the NDA’s victory in the Lok Sabha elections and asserted he had no desire for a position in power.

He stated that after the Lok Sabha elections, he had a chance to become a minister in the central government. However, he thought about working for the party and refused the ministerial post even then. He added that he is not in the race for any ministerial position in the state.

The Uttar Pradesh Congress on Monday called off its planned march to violence-hit Sambhal following a standoff with police outside the party office in Lucknow. Uttar Pradesh Congress Chief Ajay Rai said that the march was postponed after authorities cited restrictions on entry of outsiders in Sambhal until December 10.

Ajai Rai said that the DCP and other police officials have said that they will inform the Congress when the restrictions are lifted. He added that the day the police inform them, a delegation of the Congress party will visit Sambhal.

Reportedly, chaos erupted outside the UP Congress office when police blocked a delegation led by Ajai Rai from departing for Sambhal. Security personnel stopped Rai’s car at the office gate, leading to protests from party workers who shouted slogans and created a commotion.

Ajai Rai and other leaders sat down and staged a protest outside the party office after police prevented them from leaving. The leaders raised slogans against the authorities, accusing them of obstructing their efforts to assess the situation in Sambhal.

Earlier on Monday, the UP Congress chief said he would defy a police order and visit Sambhal, despite heavy security measures. The decision comes after UP Police issued a notice to Rai, citing potential law and order issues.

Ajai Rai said that the police have issued him a notice and asked him to postpone the visit, but the Congress will go peacefully to understand the situation and the atrocities committed by the police and the government.

The state Congress chief also criticised the administration’s decision to extend the ban on outsiders entering Sambhal until December 10, and accused the BJP-led government of extending restrictions to obstruct their fact-finding mission. He pledged to proceed with the trip, citing the need to investigate alleged police brutality and government injustice.

Violence in Sambhal has simmered since a court-ordered survey of Mughal-era Shahi Jama Masjid on November 19, prompted by claims it was originally a Hindu temple. The clashes between protesters and police on November 24 left four people dead.

A three-member judicial committee inspected the site on Sunday, gathering statements from residents and officials.

The farmers from Punjab have announced that they will march to the national capital this week to demand a discussion on Minimum Support Price (MSP). Following this, the police have put up barricades and issued advisory for commuters travelling from Noida to Delhi today, as the first group of farmers, led by the Bharatiya Kisan Parishad (BKP), will begin their march today.

Reports said, the protesting farmers will start their march from the Maha Maya flyover in Noida at noon. Several photos from the spot showed massive traffic jams on the road leading to Delhi. The protestors under the banners of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), have been protesting at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13, after their attempt to march to Delhi was blocked by security forces.

Furthermore, many other farmers will join the protest from December 6, with the march proceeding daily from 9 am to 5 pm. The agitating farmers will spend the nights on the road. While addressing the media on Sunday, Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said farmers have been protesting at Shambhu and Khanauri for 293 days.

The farmers’ leader criticized the BJP-led government, stating that it has not engaged in any talks with the farmers since February 18. He further accused the Centre of avoiding dialogue and reaffirmed that the farmers reject contract farming, demanding instead a legal guarantee on the MSP for crops.

Notably, a three-member panel of Union ministers – Arjun Munda, Piyush Goyal and Nityanand Rai – had met with farmer representatives on February 18, but the farmers rejected the Centre’s proposal to purchase pulses, maize, and cotton at the MSP for five years.

Apart from a legal guarantee on the MSP, the protesters are demanding farm loan waiver, pension for farmers and farm labourers, no hike in the electricity tariff, withdrawal of police cases and justice for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence, reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013 and compensation to the families of the farmers who died during a previous agitation in 2020-21.

Another farmer leader, Guramneet Singh Mangat mentioned that when the first group of farmers begins its march towards Delhi on December 6, other farmer bodies in Kerala, Uttarakhand, and Tamil Nadu will also stage marches towards their respective state assemblies.