नवीनतम
Devendra Fadnavis to be sworn in as Maha CM on Dec 5
MUMBAI [Maha Media]: Senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis will be sworn in as the chief minister of Maharashtra at Azad Maidan ground in south Mumbai at 5.30 pm on Thursday. His name was finalised in the BJP's core committee meeting held here on Wednesday before its Maharashtra legislature party meet. Union minister Nirmala Sitharaman, former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and Fadnavis were present in the BJP's core committee meet. The BJP has appointed Sitharaman and Rupani as central observers for its Maharashtra legislature party's meeting.
Fadnavis was speaking to reporters after meeting Governor C P Radhakrishnan who invited him to form the next government. He was accompanied by Shinde and Pawar.
"Chief minister's post is a technical arrangement. All three of us will work together unitedly," Fadnavis said.
"I and two deputy chief ministers will take oath (during the swearing-in ceremony on Thursday evening). It is yet to be decided how many ministers will take oath," he informed.
He met Shinde on Tuesday evening and invited him to join the government, Fadnavis added.
But Shinde, currently the caretaker CM, evaded reply when asked whether he will join the government.
''Wait till evening," said the Shiv Sena president who was chief minister of the Mahayuti government from July 2022 onwards.
Ajit Pawar interjected, saying he was going to take oath (as deputy CM), drawing laughter.
"He has experience. He can take oath in the morning as well as in the evening," Shinde replied in the same vein, apprently referring to Pawar's early morning oath-taking as Fadnavis's deputy when the BJP and an NCP faction led by him formed a short-lived government in 2019.
Fadnavis informed that besides the Sena and NCP, Rashtriya Samaj Paksha, Jansurajya Shakti Party, Yuva Swabhiman Paksh's Ravi Rana and two other independent MLAs have given him letters of support.
The swearing-in will take place at Azad Maidan ground in south Mumbai at 5.30 pm on Thursday, to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several Union ministers besides chief ministers of NDA-ruled states.
Ajit Pawar said the new government will function unitedly, while Shinde said he was satisfied with his two and half years' tenure during which welfare measures and development agenda were pursued in a balanced way.
''We will work as a team. Our responsibility has grown because of the huge mandate," said Shinde.
The Mahayuti coalition won the last month's assembly elections by a landslide, bagging 230 of 288 seats.
On Tuesday, Fadnavis met caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde at his official residence, 'Varsha,' here, the first in-person meeting since their discussions in Delhi last week for government formation.
While the hour-long meeting's details remain unclear, some political observers view it as an outreach effort by the BJP to placate an ally which is weighing its options, while others believe it served as a preliminary discussion regarding the swearing-in ceremony set for December 5.
Preparations were on in full swing for the swearing-in ceremony to be held on Thursday at the Azad Maidan in south Mumbai, which will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as well as nearly 2,000 VVIPs and 40,000 supporters.
Several Union ministers, and 19 chief ministers and deputy CMs of various states are also expected to attend the ceremony.
BJP leader Prasad Lad has said the ceremony will be a "historic moment" for Maharashtra.
"The event will be telecast live across the state wherever LED screens are available," he said.
There are indications that the distribution of portfolios among the three allies might not be a smooth process.
Sena leaders on Monday said that as per the "convention" of alliance politics, their party should get the home portfolio if the CM post went to the BJP.
