BJP’s Central Leadership to Take Call on Next Maharashtra CM

Mumbai: While the Mahayuti coalition parties are denying any dispute over the chief minister’s post of Maharashtra, the final decision on the top post is likely to be taken in Delhi. Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule said the Mahayuti leaders and the saffron party leadership will decide who will be the next chief minister of the state.

In a day of hectic political activities, all three Mahayuti parties — BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP — held separate meetings to decide their future course of action.

BJP national joint general secretary Shiv Prakash and Bawankule met Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is the front runner for the CM post, at the latter’s Sagar residence in South Mumbai. The meeting came on the backdrop of reports of RSS strongly backing the former CM to become the head of the state again.

However, Bawankule said that the decision about the next CM’s face will be taken jointly by the Mahayuti leaders and the top BJP leadership.

Senior Shiv Sena MLA Deepak Kesarkar too reiterated that there is no dispute and the decision on chief minister will be taken in Delhi.

Kesarkar said that the new government has to be sworn in by November 25 as the term of the outgoing Vidhan Sabha ends on November 26.

Meanwhile, the newly-elected members of the Shiv Sena have authorised Eknath Shinde to hold talks with the ruling Mahayuti allies for the formation of the next government in the state. He was also authorised to appoint the legislature party group leader, chief whip and other office bearers.

The NCP also elected Ajit Pawar as its leader. In a meeting chaired by party state president and Lok Sabha MP Sunit Tatkare, Pawar was appointed as the leader of the legislative party and his colleague Anil Patil was reappointed as the chief whip.

Patel said that there were no differences among the Mahayuti alliance partners over the CM’s post. “There is complete coordination between the three parties. Barring a couple of seats, there was complete coordination between all three parties even while finalising the seat-sharing formula. When it comes to the CM's post, every party wants to lead, but a decision in this regard will be taken after discussion between the three parties,” he added.

The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance retained power in Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha by winning a whopping 230 of the 288 seats.

The term of the current Ekanth Shinde-led government will expire on Tuesday and there are merely 48 hours left for the political parties to form the new government. However, a source from the Legislative Assembly said it is not mandatory for a new government to be formed or a new Chief Minister to take the oath before November 26. “The assumption that President’s Rule will automatically come into effect in the state after midnight on Nov 26, due to the term of the existing Assembly expiring, is incorrect,” the source said.

The Deputy Election Commissioner of Election Commission of India Hirdesh Kumar and Chief Electoral Officer, Maharashtra State S. Chockalingam called on Maharashtra Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan and presented the copies of the Gazette containing names of members elected to the Legislative Assembly of Maharashtra and ECI's Notification at Raj Bhavan Mumbai on Sunday.

The results of General Elections to Maharashtra Legislative Assembly were declared on 23rd November. The names of elected candidates of the election were published in Maharashtra Government State Gazette vide Election Commission of India’s Notification dated 24th November, 2024. This was done as per the provisions contained in Section 73 of the Representation of People Act, 1951.

The Deputy Election Commissioner, ECI and the State Chief Electoral Officer, Maharashtra presented copies of the said Gazette containing ECI’s Notification to the Governor.