Devendra Fadnavis stakes claim to form govt in Maharashtra; to take oath with two Deputy CMs on Dec 5
PTC Web Desk: Devendra Fadnavis, the BJP's choice for Maharashtra Chief Minister, staked a claim to form the government on Wednesday, hours after his name was announced as the party's CM candidate. He is set to take the oath of office in Mumbai on Thursday at 5.30 pm.
Devendra Fadnavis, accompanied by Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar, met Governor CP Radhakrishnan at Raj Bhavan to present a letter of support. “We have submitted our claim to form the government. The Governor has invited us for the swearing-in ceremony tomorrow evening,” Fadnavis said.
Union Minister Vijay Rupani revealed that two deputy chief ministers would also be sworn in alongside Fadnavis, but the names have yet to be officially confirmed. Sources suggest NCP’s Ajit Pawar is likely to be one of them. The final list of Cabinet ministers will be decided after consultations with Mahayuti coalition partners, Rupani added, emphasising that there were no disagreements within the alliance.
The BJP unanimously elected Fadnavis as the leader of its legislative party following the Mahayuti alliance’s sweeping victory in the recent Maharashtra Assembly elections. With 235 seats secured by the coalition, the BJP emerged as the single-largest party with 132 seats, followed by the Shiv Sena with 57 and the NCP with 41.
Fadnavis expressed gratitude for the overwhelming mandate, calling the election victory “historic.” He attributed the success to the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reiterating slogans like "Ek Hain to Safe Hain" and "Modi Hai to Mumkin Hai." He also thanked allies Eknath Shinde, Ajit Pawar, and Ramdas Athawale for their support.
This marks a significant milestone for the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance, further strengthening its position in Maharashtra politics.
- With inputs from agencies
