Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis dismisses centre‑move rumours

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was asked by reporters whether he was being considered for a senior role in New Delhi. He replied, “I just went to Delhi the day before,” and declined to comment further, calling the speculation political gossip.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said that if Fadnavis were to move to the centre, revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawanekar would be the leading candidate to succeed him as chief minister. Raut also dismissed any chance of former chief minister Eknath Shinde returning to the post and suggested that Fadnavis could even aim for the prime ministerial post before 2029. Shiv Sena MLA Aditya Thackeray echoed similar remarks, claiming this would be Fadnavis’s “last session” as CM and that the BJP might allocate him a ministerial portfolio in Delhi.

Bawanekar himself posted on X, calling the rumours “unfounded” and stating that 14 crore people in Maharashtra want Fadnavis to remain chief minister until at least 2034.