BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis has been unanimously elected as the Leader of the Maharashtra BJP Legislative Party and will take the oath of office as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra on December 5. The decision was made at the party’s legislative meeting in Mumbai on Wednesday.
The swearing-in ceremony will take place at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan on Thursday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in attendance. Fadnavis’s appointment was finalized during a core committee meeting held prior to the legislature party’s gathering.
Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, former Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani, and Fadnavis were present at the BJP’s core committee meeting. Sitharaman and Rupani have been appointed as central observers for the Maharashtra legislature party meeting.
Ahead of the meeting, BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar announced that Mahayuti alliance partners would meet Governor CP Radhakrishnan at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday to formally stake their claim to form the new government.
On Tuesday, Devendra Fadnavis met with caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde at his official residence, ‘Varsha,’ marking their first in-person meeting since discussions in Delhi last week about government formation. Although the meeting details remained unclear, it was seen by some as an attempt to reassure an ally considering its options, while others speculated it served as a preparatory discussion for the upcoming swearing-in.
Preparations are in full swing for the ceremony, with nearly 2,000 VVIPs and 40,000 supporters expected to attend. Several Union ministers and 19 chief ministers and deputy CMs from various states are also anticipated to be present. BJP leader Prasad Lad described the event as a “historic moment” for Maharashtra.
There are hints that the process of distributing portfolios among the alliance members may face challenges. Some Shiv Sena leaders have indicated that their party should receive the home portfolio, as per the traditional alliance arrangement, given that the CM post has gone to the BJP.
In the November 20 Maharashtra election, the BJP achieved a significant victory, securing 132 out of 288 assembly seats, its best performance to date. The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance, which includes the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar’s NCP, holds a commanding majority of 230 seats.
