Overview
- Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said on Saturday that Devendra Fadnavis is likely to be shifted to the Union government and that Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule would be his recommended successor.
- Fadnavis and senior BJP leaders have dismissed the reports and said there is no formal proposal to change Maharashtra’s leadership, leaving the matter unconfirmed and speculative.
- Bawankule publicly rejected Raut’s naming as a baseless assumption and defended Fadnavis’s continued role as chief minister, citing public support in Maharashtra.
- Other regional figures offered rival scenarios on Saturday with Rohit Pawar saying Eknath Shinde remains a contender and Bacchu Kadu arguing Shinde should lead the state on moral grounds if Fadnavis leaves.
- The episode is a form of political signaling that could force a central decision by the BJP and affect coalition arithmetic, state governance and voter perceptions ahead of future elections.