Maharashtra: Amid suspense over CM post, BJP says swearing-in on Dec 5; Opposition questions delay

As suspense continues over the chief minister’s post and the power sharing among Mahayuti allies in Maharashtra, a senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday claimed that the new government will be sworn in on December 5.

State BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule said the swearing-in will be held at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Earlier, another party leader, who did not wish to be named, told PTI that former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis is the front-runner for the top post.

A meeting of the newly elected BJP MLAs will take place on December 2 to elect the legislative party leader, he had said.

The ruling Mahayuti alliance that comprises the BJP, Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) had swept the assembly elections, bagging 230 of the 288 assembly seats. The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi led by Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP(SP) suffered a drubbing and was reduced to just 41 seats.

The BJP emerged the single largest party, pocketing 132 seats, while its allies, the Shiv Sena and the NCP, secured 57 and 41 seats, respectively. Fadnavis, who steered the BJP’s impressive show in the politically crucial state, was tipped to become the chief minister.

Soon after the election results were announced, media reports claimed a discontent in the Mahayuti bloc after Shinde, the outgoing chief minister, was reportedly refused another term at the top post.

Shinde, however, dismissed those reports and claimed that he was ready to accept any decision the BJP central leadership would take on the CM post.

A meeting of the Mahayuti leaders with the BJP top brass on Thursday night was expected to take crucial decisions regarding the formation of the new government, but Shinde travelled to his home town after the meeting, sparking rumours that he is unhappy over the power-sharing formula.

According to reports, the two deputy CMs formula is expected to continue in the new government.

Opposition questions delay

The Shiv Sena (UBT), a constituent of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, has questioned the delay in government formation, and wondered whether the BJP wanted central rule in Maharashtra.

"Elections were held on November 20 and the results were announced on November 23. It has been a week since then. There is no government in the state. They have got a clear mandate but they don't know who the CM will be,” Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Anand Dubey was quoted as saying by ANI.

“When will they start caring about the needs of the people? We are unable to understand their plan of action. In every state, they had declared the CM face on time so why are they giving such a treatment to Maharashtra? Do they want Central rule in Maharashtra?,” he asked.