The name of Maharashtra’s new chief minister will be revealed on Wednesday, a day before the swearing-in ceremony of the Mahayuti government, a senior BJP functionary confirmed.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani have been appointed as central observers for the BJP’s legislature party meeting. The meeting, set for Wednesday in Mumbai, will see the party’s MLAs elect their leader, whose name will then be conveyed to senior BJP leaders in Delhi for final approval.
“Following this meeting, the chosen candidate’s name will be relayed to senior leaders in Delhi. These observers will then announce the elected leader of the BJP, who is set to be the next chief minister,” the BJP functionary told PTI.
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Swearing-in cermony at Azad Maidan
The newly-elected chief minister will take the oath of office on December 5 at Azad Maidan in Mumbai, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior leaders in attendance.
Although the BJP has not officially disclosed its candidate, sources suggest Devendra Fadnavis is the frontrunner for the post.
Mahayuti power-sharing
The Mahayuti coalition government is expected to have two deputy chief ministers from its key allies—the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has expressed his willingness to support the BJP’s claim to the top post, stating he will not obstruct the decision.
In the recently concluded Maharashtra Assembly elections, the Mahayuti coalition secured a decisive majority, winning 230 of the 288 seats. The BJP emerged as the largest party with 132 seats, followed by the Shiv Sena with 57 and the NCP with 41.