Devendra Fadnavis, named as the BJP’s pick for Maharashtra Chief Minister, has staked his claim to form the government in the state. Accompanied by Shiv Sena’s Eknath Shinde and NCP’s Ajit Pawar, Fadnavis met Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan on Wednesday and handed over the support letter to officially announce the formation of the government.
Fadnavis will take the oath as Maharashtra’s Chief Minister tomorrow at a ceremony in Mumbai, set for 5:30 pm. Union Minister Vijay Rupani, a central observer for the BJP, confirmed that Fadnavis will be sworn in alongside two deputy chief ministers, although the names remain undisclosed. Reports expect Ajit Pawar to be one of the deputy CMs.
Rupani added that discussions with Mahayuti partners would finalize the names of other cabinet ministers, and assured there were no differences within the coalition. “Everyone is happy, and everything is well,” he stated.
The Maharashtra BJP Legislative Party unanimously elected Fadnavis as its leader, setting the stage for his appointment as CM. This decision follows the landslide victory of the Mahayuti alliance in the recent state elections, where the BJP emerged as the single-largest party with 132 seats. The Shiv Sena and NCP secured 57 and 41 seats, respectively.
Addressing his election, Fadnavis expressed gratitude to the legislative party and acknowledged the “historic” nature of the assembly poll victory. He reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s slogans, “Ek Hain to Safe Hain” and “Modi Hai to Mumkin Hai,” celebrating the BJP’s continued success after their win in Haryana. Fadnavis thanked his allies, including CM Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, for their support.
