Maharashtra CM : Fadnavis elected as leader of BJP legislative party in state
Whether Devendra Fadnavis will return as the chief minister of Maharashtra or will the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the state pick Eknath Shinde again?
The answer to the most asked question in the political corridors in the state is finally out. Devendra Fadnavis has been unanimously elected as the Leader of Maharashtra BJP Legislative party, paving the way for him to be sworn in as Maharashtra chief minister on December 5. His name has been finalised in BJP core committee meeting today.
The decision has been taken at the crucial BJP legislature party meeting that took place at the Maharashtra Vidhan Bhavan to elect its leader.
Devendra Fadnavis will be sworn in as Maharashtra chief minister on December 5. His name has been finalised in BJP core committee meeting, said sources. The BJP legislature party leader elected in the meeting is expected to meet the governor to stake a claim to form Maharashtra’s new government, the swearing-in of which is pending since the NDA or the Mahayuti alliance secured a landslide victory in the recent state elections.
Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman and former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani have been appointed as central observers for the BJP legislature party meeting. Rupani, who arrived in Mumbai Tuesday evening for the meeting, said late night that the legislature party leader’s name will be finalised after talks with the party’s newly-elected MLAs.
The BJP secured 132 out of 288 seats, marking its best performance in the state so far. The Shiv Sena got 57 and the NCP 41 seats. Together with its allies — the Shiv Sena-led by Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar’s NCP, the Mahayuti coalition has a commanding majority of 230 seats.
On Tuesday, Devendra Fadnavis met caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde at his official residence, ‘Varsha,’ in Mumbai, the first in-person meeting since their discussions in Delhi last week for government formation.
Eknath Shinde on Tuesday visited a private hospital for a health check-up. “I came for a check-up. My health is in good condition,” he later told reporters while leaving the hospital. His decision to head to his village in Satara district last Friday had sparked speculation that he was unhappy over the way the new government was shaping up, however, he has already made it clear that he will not come in the way of BJP getting the chief minster’s post.