Maharashtra Elections: Mahayuti's newly-elected MLAs to select CM in key meeting on Monday
Mumbai: A day after sweeping victory in the Maharashtra Assembly elections and amidst deliberations over the Chief Minister's position, Mahayuti alliance partners—BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP—are holding key meetings with their newly elected MLAs on Sunday to elect their respective legislative party leaders, media reports said.
NCP leader Ajit Pawar has been chosen as the Legislative Party Leader during a meeting held at his official residence in Mumbai.
Meanwhile, the BJP’s core committee is set to convene at Devendra Fadnavis’ official residence in the city, while Eknath Shinde has scheduled a gathering with Shiv Sena’s MLAs at a hotel in Bandra.
On Monday, all Mahayuti MLAs will come together for an alliance meeting to finalize the selection of Maharashtra's next Chief Minister.
The Mahayuti alliance delivered a landslide win, securing 233 out of 288 seats and severely weakening the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which managed only 49 seats, leaving them without the numbers to claim the Leader of the Opposition post.
The BJP emerged as the largest party with a historic 132 seats, while the Shiv Sena and NCP also bolstered their standings, winning 57 and 41 seats, respectively.
Devendra Fadnavis, who led the BJP’s campaign to this remarkable victory, is a leading contender for the Chief Minister’s post.
Eknath Shinde, who solidified his reputation as a prominent Maratha leader with an impressive strike rate of 81 percent, is also being considered for the role.
Sources indicate that the final decision on the Chief Minister’s position will be made by Mahayuti leaders in consultation with the BJP’s central leadership in Delhi.
The swearing-in ceremony is anticipated to take place on Tuesday, November 26, at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium, the same venue where Fadnavis was sworn in as Chief Minister a decade ago.
The event is expected to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several distinguished guests from various fields.