'Fadnavis recommended my name before, today we recommend his': Shinde
Devendra Fadnavis, who will be sworn in as Maharashtra's new chief minister on Thursday, said he met Eknath Shinde on Tuesday, and the latter agreed to be a part of the new government. The swearing-in ceremony will be held at Mumbai's Azad Maidan at 5:30pm. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to attend the event. This comes after Fadnavis met Governor CP Radhakrishnan and staked his claim to form the government.
Fadnavis elected as legislature party leader
Shinde, the caretaker chief minister, has said he was returning the favor after Fadnavis had previously recommended him for the CM position. The decision brings an end to an 11-day suspense over the top post before the Bharatiya Janata Party's central leadership elected Fadnavis as the legislature party leader on Wednesday. With the BJP's massive score in the assembly election, many saw Fadnavis as an easy choice, but Shinde's party lobbied for a second innings for their leader.
Shinde's role and cabinet portfolios decision pending
Shinde, however, has shied away from confirming if he would take the deputy chief minister role, leaving it open until further announcements. The decision on cabinet portfolios is likely soon after further discussions among alliance leaders. The political landscape changed when Shinde led a rebellion splitting Shiv Sena and toppling Uddhav Thackeray's government two-and-a-half years ago. Back then, despite having more numbers, the BJP backed Shinde for the top post while Fadnavis served as deputy CM.
Mahayuti alliance secures significant victory
The Mahayuti alliance of BJP, Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), and Nationalist Congress Party (Pawar faction) won a historic victory in the state elections. They won 230 seats out of 288 in the Assembly, with BJP winning 132, Shiv Sena 57, and NCP 41. The swearing-in ceremony will take place on December 5 at Mumbai's Azad Maidan, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and around 2,000 VVIPs expected to attend along with around 40,000 supporters.
