Another Twist In Maharashtra Plot: BJP Appoints Observers Days Before CM Swearing In

File Photo

Amid growing suspense regarding the next Chief Minister of Maharashtra, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has appointed two central observers for its crucial legislature party meeting in the state. The BJP Legislative Party in Maharashtra will hold a meeting at 10:00 am on December 4 at the Maharashtra Vidhan Bhavan.

On December 2, the BJP announced the appointment of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani as the central observers for Maharashtra.

Their task will be to oversee the legislature party meeting that is set to select the new leader of the party, who will likely be the next Chief Minister of Maharashtra. 

This decision comes amid the uncertainty surrounding who will take the reins of the state government. The Mahayuti alliance won a resounding 230 out of the 288 seats in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.

The BJP secured 132 seats, the Shiv Sena claimed 57, and the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) won 41 seats. Despite the overwhelming victory, the formal oath-taking ceremony has yet to take place.

Devendra Fadnavis Expected to be Elected as Legislature Party Leader

Devendra Fadnavis, the BJP’s prominent leader in Maharashtra, is widely expected to be elected as the leader of the party's legislature party during a meeting scheduled for December 3.

All BJP MLAs have been instructed to attend the event in Mumbai. Fadnavis’s elevation as the legislature party leader is seen as a crucial step toward the formation of the new state government.

Oath-Taking Ceremony Set for December 5

The oath-taking ceremony for the new government is scheduled for the evening of December 5 at Azad Maidan in Mumbai. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to be present for the event. The BJP is moving cautiously in its approach to ensure that the expectations and aspirations of its allies, particularly the Shiv Sena, are addressed.

The BJP-led Mahayuti coalition is facing some internal disagreements despite its electoral victory. Former Union Minister and senior BJP leader Raosaheb Danve remarked that if the undivided Shiv Sena and BJP had contested the elections together, they would have secured an even greater number of seats.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena MLA Gulabrao Patil suggested that the Eknath Shinde-led faction of the Shiv Sena would have won 90-100 seats if the Ajit Pawar-led NCP had not been part of the alliance. This claim provoked a strong response from the NCP, highlighting the tensions within the coalition.