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Eknath Shinde, who bowed out of the race for Maharashtra's Chief Minister post last week and has been keeping a low profile since, will join the Devendra Fadnavis government as his Deputy, sources have told News Agency. Mr Fadnavis will take oath tomorrow in Mumbai, preparations for which are in progress. There is speculation that two Deputies will take oath alongside - Ajit Pawar has already given a teaser, saying he would also take oath tomorrow.
Mr Fadnavis, who met Governor CP Radhakrishnan today and staked claim to form government, had dropped hints that he has persuaded Mr Shinde to join the government at a meeting last evening.
"Yesterday I requested Eknath Shinde to remain in the cabinet... which I hope he would... The Chief Minister post is just a technical agreement between us... we have been together to take decisions and will continue to do so," he said, expressing "special thanks" to his predecessor in the top post.
"The Chief Minister post is just a technical agreement between us... we have been together to take decisions and will continue to do so," he had added airbrushing difference over a matter that created a two-week logjam in the announcement for the top post, oath and subsequent government formation.
Mr Shinde had reciprocated, saying, "Two-and-a-half year ago, Fadnavis recommended my name to become the Chief Minister. This time, we recommend his name to become the Chief Minister".
After declaring that he would not be an "obstacle" to the BJP decision on the top post, Mr Shinde had gone off to his village in Satara. His aides, meanwhile, had kept up the pressure on the government, reiterating their demand for the top post for their boss.
Yesterday, Mr Shinde was admitted in a hospital for what his team called a "routine check-up". Shortly after his return, Mr Fadnavis had visited him in "Varsha" - the official residence of the Chief Minister.
The meeting paved the way for the BJP legislators' meet today where Mr Fadnavis was named as chief and ended the two-week suspense and drawn jeers from the Opposition.