Mumbai, Maharashtra, 2 December 2024 – Maharashtra’s political landscape is abuzz as Devendra Fadnavis has been finalized as the next chief minister, a senior BJP leader confirmed late Sunday. The official announcement is expected at the BJP legislature party meeting, likely to be held on December 2 or 3. The move follows the Mahayuti coalition’s decisive victory in the Assembly polls.
Outgoing Chief Minister Eknath Shinde expressed support for the BJP’s choice, stating, “The decision on the CM’s post taken by BJP leadership will be acceptable to me and Shiv Sena. It has my full backing.” Shinde also addressed speculation about his son Shrikant Shinde’s potential appointment as deputy chief minister, saying, “Talks are ongoing. The details will be finalized after discussions among the alliance partners.”
The BJP-led Mahayuti, comprising BJP, Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar’s NCP, secured 230 of the 288 seats, with BJP emerging as the largest party with 132 seats. Despite the victory, differences among allies have surfaced. Shiv Sena MLA Gulabrao Patil suggested his party could have won 90-100 seats without NCP’s inclusion, while former Union minister Raosaheb Danve argued that a united BJP-Sena front would have secured an even larger mandate.
Meanwhile, tension among the allies came to light when Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad accused local BJP leaders of conspiring with rival factions during the elections. “Union minister Prataprao Jadhav called Uddhav Thackeray’s confidant to field a candidate against me. BJP’s Sanjay Kute passed on the same message,” he alleged.
The new government’s oath-taking ceremony is scheduled for December 5 at Azad Maidan in Mumbai, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi expected to attend. However, clarity is lacking on whether the swearing-in will include only the chief minister and deputy chief ministers or the entire council of ministers. NCP chief Sunil Tatkare stated, “We will sit together and decide the final structure of the swearing-in.”
Despite public assurances of unity, the delay in selecting the BJP legislature party leader and the absence of a detailed government formation plan have fueled rumors of internal discord. On Sunday, Shinde returned to Mumbai after recovering from a brief illness at his native village. Refuting claims of dissatisfaction, he said, “There are no differences. Our work will be remembered in golden words in history.”
With just days left until the new government is sworn in, political observers are closely watching the BJP’s strategic maneuvers as it seeks to balance the demands of its ambitious allies while maintaining coalition stability.
