Ending all suspense, it's final ... Devendra Fadnavis to be new Maharashtra Chief Minister .... stakes claim to form government

The BJP leadership green-signaled Devendra Fadnavis as its choice for the Maharashtra Chief Minister post at a key meeting on Wednesday.

This brought an end to 11-day suspense after the BJP, Shiv Sena (Shinde) and NCP of (Ajit Pawar) combine Mahayuti alliance stormed to power pushing the bitter rivals Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray to the margins of Maharashtra politics.  

“We have met the Governor and handed over the letter of support to stake claim to form the government in the state. The Governor has invited us for the oath ceremony tomorrow at 5.30 pm,” Fadnavis said after the meeting. He was flanked by Shinde and Ajit Pawar.

Fadnavis, Eknath Shinde (outgoing CM) and Ajit Pawar met state Governor C P Radhakrishnan in presence of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman (BJP's central observer) at Raj Bhawan and staked a claim to form government.

BJP's Chief Ministers such as Mohan Yadav in Madhya Pradesh, Bhupendra Patel in Gujarat and Bhajan Lal Sharma in Rajasthan are examples of how the 'party with a difference' --the BJP - can reward its anonymous middle rung players. The story is different in Congress. 

In circa 2024 and humbled thrice 2014, 2019 and 2024 - it is still rejoicing the fact that Prianka Gandhi Vadra has entered Parliament. It's a record. 

Congress’s First Family will now have three MPs. Does it give any wrong signal?  

While the BJP played the necessary caste game to the full, for instance — in Maharashtra, ahead of the campaign, its strategists were counting the 350-plus OBC sub-castes and the 50-plus sub-groups in SCs — it also invites voters into bigger and wider imagined communities. 

The Nation and the Civilisation that upholds it, India on the World Stage, the Hindu Samaj, the Women, the Young and Aspirational, the Labharthi or beneficiaries. 

In the Maharashtra polls, the BJP emerged as the single-largest party in the 288-seat House with 132 MLAs, while the Shinde Sena got 57 and the Pawar NCP group 41. 

Arithmetic suggests, the BJP can form the government - with the majority mark at 145 - without help from the Sena faction.

The Opposition has alleged EVM tampering and demanded a return to ballot voting. The BJP has junked these claims.

The Election Commission has warned that anyone spreading falsehood about EVMs will face action.  

Eknath Shinde will take oath as the Deputy Chief Minister along with Ajit Pawar.

"I am thankful to former Chief Minister Eknath Shinde for extending Shiv Sena's support through a formal letter, enabling my swearing-in as Chief Minister," Fadnavis said. "Ajit Pawar has also offered his backing with a letter of support".

Clarifying the leadership structure, Fadnavis said that the designation of Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister is merely a technical arrangement. "All decisions will be made collectively to ensure good governance for Maharashtra," he stated.

Fadnavis, Shinde and Pawar will take oath on Thursday at 5 pm at the iconic Azad Maidan in Mumbai, said BJP Maharashtra president Chandrashekhar Bawankule. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the swearing-in ceremony.

Apart from the Chief Minister and his deputies, there is a possibility of a few more ministers to take oath tomorrow. "A few more ministers will also take oath along with CM and Deputy CMs," read the invitation letter.

 

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