Following their resounding victory in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, the alliance partners of Mahayuti – BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP – are in the midst of crucial meetings with their newly elected MLAs on Sunday. The focus is on electing legislative party leaders for each party, ahead of the much-anticipated decision regarding the next Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
At his official residence in Mumbai, NCP leader Ajit Pawar was elected as the Legislative Party Leader for his party. The BJP, led by Devendra Fadnavis, will conduct a core committee meeting at Fadnavis’ official residence in Mumbai, while Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde has scheduled a meeting with all newly elected MLAs at a hotel in Bandra.
After the separate meetings, all Mahayuti MLAs are expected to gather for an alliance meeting on Monday to discuss and finalize the selection of Maharashtra’s next Chief Minister.
The Mahayuti alliance’s stunning victory in the recent elections saw them securing 233 out of the 288 seats in the Maharashtra Assembly, leaving the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) with just 49 seats. This has rendered the MVA unable to claim the post of Opposition Leader. The BJP emerged as the largest party with a record-breaking 132 seats, while Shiv Sena and NCP also made significant gains, winning 57 and 41 seats, respectively.
Devendra Fadnavis, who led the BJP campaign to this remarkable victory, has emerged as a strong contender for the Chief Minister’s post. Eknath Shinde, who is considered a powerful Maratha leader and achieved an impressive 81% strike rate in his constituency, is also a key frontrunner.
Sources indicate that the final decision on the Chief Minister’s post will be made after consultations with the BJP’s top leadership in Delhi. The swearing-in ceremony is expected to take place on Tuesday, November 26, at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, where Fadnavis was sworn in as the Chief Minister 10 years ago. The ceremony will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other dignitaries from various sectors.
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