Amid Maharashtra CM Suspense, State BJP Legislature Party Leader To Be Finalised Today

(Photo: PTI)

Maharashtra Government Formation: Days after the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Mahayuti alliance’s thumping victory in the recently concluded Maharashtra elections, the name of the legislature party leader will be finalized today.

This will take place after talks with the saffron party's newly-elected MLAs in the state. The confirmation of the same was done by former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, who was one of the two BJP observers for its Maharashtra legislature party meeting. 

Rupani, who arrived in Mumbai late Tuesday evening for this crucial meeting scheduled to be held on Wednesday, said if there is unanimity, then only one name will be selected. The saffron party has achieved remarkable success in the November 20 Maharashtra elections, securing 132 out of 288 seats, marking its best performance in the state so far.

Amid the deadlock pertaining to the Chief Minister, former CM Devendra Fadnavis is being seen as the frontrunner for the top post in the new BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP government. Speaking to reporters, Rupani said, "The government will be formed. Discussions with the elected MLAs will take place tomorrow. One name will be finalized and it will be announced later," as quoted by news agency IANS.

He said the process of finalizing the leader of the BJP's legislative party follows a set tradition within the party. "This is our way of finalizing the name. The legislature party leader will be decided, and the leader will take an oath as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra the next day," he added. "If there is unanimity, then only one proposal (name) will be put forward," Rupani added.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who is also an observer, is set to join Rupani in the talks. The two leaders will meet BJP's elected representatives in the Central Hall of the Maharashtra Vidhan Bhavan to finalize the name.

Earlier, the BJP announced that the new Chief Minister will take oath on December 5 at a mega event at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai, which will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several Union Ministers, party leaders, and Chief Ministers of the party-ruled states.

(With IANS Inputs)