Amid the suspense over Maharashtra’s Chief Minister, a senior BJP leader reportedly confirmed Devendra Fadnavis’ name as Maharashtra’s next CM.

An official nod is expected to drop on Monday or Tuesday.

On Sunday, BJP leader Fadnavis reportedly spoke to acting Chief Minister Eknath Shinde over the phone and asked him to return to Mumbai from Satara. 

As the reports of Fadnavis being the front-runner to replace Shinde unfold, reports also claim that Shinde’s son Shrikant is likely to be the deputy CM of Maharashtra.

The Nagpur effect

The demand for Fadnavis to be named CM of Maharashtra is gaining momentum. Recently, posters supporting this call have reportedly appeared in Nagpur, with backing from an MLA affiliated with the Eknath Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena.

The posters doing rounds on social media read, “Deva Bhau Bhavi Mukhyamantri” (Deva Bhau, Future Chief Minister).

The Mahayuti alliance secured 230 of 288 assembly seats, with the BJP winning 132, Shiv Sena 57, and Ajit Pawar’s NCP 41.

The swearing-in of the 31st Maharashtra CM will be held on December 5 at 5 pm at the historic Azad Maidan near Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in south Mumbai. The event is expected to be attended by many National BJP leaders.

Even over a week after the declaration of the Maharashtra Assembly election results, Mahayuti has not shared details of the next government.

Although BJP is yet to elect Fadnavis as the legislature party group leader formally, party sources hinted that the former Deputy CM will take oath as the chief minister for the third time.

Fadnavis had headed the BJP-led government between 2014 and 2019 and he later became chief minister with Ajit Pawar as deputy chief minister for 80 hours as the government was not formed after Ajit Pawar resigned.

(With inputs from syndicated feed)

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Fadnavis urges Shinde to return from Satara, talks on portfolios likely