BJP's Devendra Fadnavis poised to return as Maharashtra CM

The suspense over Maharashtra’s new chief minister will end on Dec 4 as the state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislature party will elect its new leader.

The meeting in this regard will be held in Vidhan Bhawan on Dec 4, news agency PTI quoted a senior party functionary as saying adding party members have finalized the name of Devendra Fadnavis for the top post.

Senior Maharashtra BJP leader Fadnavis is largely seen as the pick for the top post. Fadnavis met caretaker CM Eknath Shinde at his residence in Mumbai on Dec 3 in a bid to end the ongoing deadlock within the Mahayuti alliance over the top post.

This is the first meeting between Fadnavis and Shinde ever since the standoff on government formation began.

Shinde has reportedly agreed to serve as deputy chief minister in the incoming Mahayuti government after days of hectic parleys, sources were quoted as saying.

Fadnavis is poised to return as Chief Minister. Shinde will be sworn in alongside Fadnavis and NCP leader Ajit Pawar at a high-profile oath-taking ceremony in Mumbai on Dec 5, sources said.

This marks a significant shift in Shinde's stance who led Maharashtra as Chief Minister for two years. He had reportedly been reluctant to accept a deputy’s role under Fadnavis, according to sources.

The allocation of cabinet positions and portfolios among the three Mahayuti alliance partners — BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP — is expected to follow the oath-taking.

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Shirsat was quoted as saying that all is well in the Mahayuti coalition and the swearing-in ceremony will go ahead as planned. He added that it will be clear by Dec evening evening whether Shinde will remain part of the government or not.

Meanwhile, members of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) continue to huddle in the run-up to the swearing-in ceremony of the new government in the state, slated to take place on Dec 5.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar on Dec 2 flew to Delhi, while Eknath Shinde and Fadnavis remained in Mumbai meeting workers and leaders of their parties while there is no confirmation of who will be the next chief minister of state.

An official announcement of the chief minister's name is expected on Dec 4.

Meanwhile, Eknath Shinde on Dec 3 was hospitalized briefly as his health did not show much signs of improvement. He had developed fever and a throat infection during his visit to his native village in Satara.

Doctors advised a full examination of his health. Exiting the hospital, Shinde responded to media queries on his health saying “all good”.

A day after a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader claimed that Fadnavis has been finalized for the post of chief minister, the party named Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani as central observers for its state legislature party's meeting, where the MLAs will elect their leader for the top post.

In Maharashtra, BJP's two main allies in the Mahayuti alliance — Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party — are tipped to get deputy CM positions in the new government. Shinde, who is the caretaker chief minister has said that he will not come in the way of BJP getting the chief minister's post.

Meanwhile, BJP leader Girish Mahajan, who is considered close to Fadnavis visited Shinde’s house in Maharashtra's Thane on Dec 2 evening to inquire about his well-being.

In the recently concluded state polls, the Mahayuti alliance won 230 of the 288 assembly seats. The BJP led with 132 seats, Shiv Sena got 57, and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) 41 seats.