The crucial meeting of the BJP legislative party is taking place on Thursday, just a day before the swearing-in ceremony of the new Mahayuti government in Maharashtra, where Devendra Fadnavis from the BJP is likely to become the Chief Minister. This significant gathering will be held in Mumbai as the deadlock over the state’s new Chief Minister has continued for over 10 days since the ruling Mahayuti alliance achieved a resounding victory against the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi in the state assembly elections. The party has appointed Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani as central observers for this meeting, scheduled for 10 a.m. This meeting precedes the swearing-in ceremony of the new Mahayuti government, where Devendra Fadnavis is expected to take charge as the Chief Minister. After the meeting, Fadnavis, interim Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and NCP leader Ajit Pawar are expected to meet Governor CP Radhakrishnan to stake a claim to form the Mahayuti 2.0 government. On Tuesday evening, for the first time since the stalemate began, Fadnavis met Shinde, and sources suggest that the Shiv Sena chief has agreed to serve as the Deputy Chief Minister. Preparations are in high gear for the swearing-in ceremony at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan, which is set to feature Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approximately 2,000 VVIPs, and an anticipated crowd of nearly 40,000 supporters. On November 23,
Mahayuti secured a decisive victory in the state elections, winning 230 out of 288 assembly seats. The BJP emerged as the largest party with 132 seats—its highest tally to date—while the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP won 57 and 41 seats, respectively.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Attend Oath-Taking Ceremony
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend the oath-taking ceremony. Alongside the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister, a few more ministers are also likely to be sworn in tomorrow. According to the invitation received by India Today TV, it states, “Along with the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister, some other ministers will also take the oath.”
Sources revealed that Eknath Shinde has strongly demanded the Home Department along with the Deputy Chief Minister’s position, making it clear that he won’t be part of the government without it. In response, Devendra Fadnavis held a discussion with Shinde for over half an hour, assuring him that he would take this matter to the BJP’s top leadership to address his demands.
During a party event after being nominated for the Chief Minister’s position, Fadnavis reiterated PM Modi’s slogan, “Ek Hai, Surakshit Hai” (United and Secure), signaling a sense of unity within the Mahayuti alliance. At the BJP meeting, Fadnavis’ name for the top post was proposed by Vijay Rupani, who was sent to Mumbai as the party’s observer. Senior BJP leaders like Sudhir Mungantiwar and Pankaja Munde unanimously supported this proposal.
Nearly two weeks have passed since the Mahayuti alliance achieved a resounding victory in the assembly elections, securing an impressive 230 seats out of the 288 available.. However, disagreements over the Chief Minister’s position—particularly Shinde’s insistence on being reappointed—had delayed finalizing the structure of the new government.
Shinde’s Public Commitment Clears the Path for Negotiations
Negotiations progressed last week after Shinde publicly stated that he would not become a “hurdle” in forming the government. He also announced his intention to abide by the decisions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
Fadnavis is widely credited as the chief architect of the BJP’s historic win in Maharashtra, where the party contested 149 seats and won 132. The RSS also strongly backed Fadnavis for the top post in Maharashtra. These developments signal a surprising twist for Fadnavis, who has been the BJP’s most prominent face in the state in recent years.
From 80-Hour CM to Third Term as a Leader
In 2014, at just 44 years old, Devendra Fadnavis became Maharashtra’s Chief Minister for the first time, making him the second youngest CM after Sharad Pawar. After the 2019 assembly elections, disputes over a rotational Chief Minister agreement led Shiv Sena to exit the alliance. This prompted Fadnavis-led BJP to join hands with Ajit Pawar. While Fadnavis took the oath as Chief Minister and Ajit Pawar as Deputy Chief Minister, this government lasted only 80 hours as Ajit Pawar returned to the NCP.
Following Eknath Shinde’s rebellion and the collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, Fadnavis was once again in the race to become Chief Minister in 2022. However, he had to take a backseat and agree to serve as the Deputy Chief Minister under Shinde’s leadership.
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