Mumbai: Devendra Fadnavis is set to become Maharashtra’s 21st chief minister. The development was confirmed after a series of high-level meetings of the core committee and legislative party of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai Wednesday.
He was unanimously picked as the leader of the BJP legislative party.
“This was a historic election. Through this election, one thing is clear—Ek hain toh safe hain (together we are safe) and Modi hai toh mumkin hai (Modi makes possible). I want to thank Maharashtra for giving us this mandate. I also want to thank Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, and all our allies,” Fadnavis said, addressing the party MLAs.
“I am proud that despite being harassed for two and a half years between 2019 and 2022, none of our MLAs left us, and struggled and got us the power back in 2022, and worked to deliver us this historic mandate now. Now, the responsibility is even bigger.”
BJP emerged as the single largest party in Maharashtra assembly after an astounding victory in the elections, winning 132 of the 149 seats that they had contested in, and with the support of five Independents. The Mahayuti—comprising BJP, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) and Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar)—won 237 (including 2 Independents who supported Shinde’s Sena) of the 288 seats in the assembly.
The Maharashtra BJP’s core committee meeting was conducted at the party’s Vidhan Bhavan office around 10 am, which was followed by a legislative party meeting in the central hall of the state legislature.
At the legislative party meeting, senior leaders Chandrakant Patil and Sudhir Mungantiwar proposed the name of Fadnavis as the leader, which was seconded by Pankaja Munde, Ravindra Chavan and Pravin Darekar.
MLA Ram Kadam told media persons, “We are very happy that Fadnavis will now represent Maharashtra. How we worked between 2014 and 2019, everyone has seen. Now Maharashtra will once again gain pace in terms of development. Under Fadnavis’s leadership, Maharashtra has already seen how hard he works for development. “
Darekar said, “As BJP workers, we are happy that Fadnavis has been chosen as our leader.”
Senior leader Ashok Chavan told media persons that with Fadnavis at the helm, Maharashtra will see a stable government. He said, “The pulse of the people is important and when such a historic mandate is chosen, then it means people are supporting Fadnavis… With Fadnavis’s experience, there will be good governance, government and administration.”
Fadnavis has been the chief minister of Maharashtra twice. After Shinde toppled the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in 2022, he, along with his rebel MLAs from the Shiv Sena, had formed the government with the support of BJP. Fadnavis then served as the deputy to Shinde in the government, despite BJP’s tally of 105 MLAs at the time.
However, after getting the historic mandate this time, BJP was expected to stake claim to the post of chief minister and Fadnavis was the front runner for the top position.
BJP state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule said at the legislative party meeting, “Today’s day is historic. We fought this election under the leadership of Devendra Fadnavis and got this historic mandate.”
Former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman were appointed to oversee the legislative party meeting.
After the meeting, Fadnavis, visited Raj Bhavan, along with Shinde and Ajit Pawar, to meet Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan and stake claim to form the government, which the governor accepted.
The swearing-in ceremony is scheduled for 5 December at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan, which will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Shinde will take oath as the deputy chief minister with Ajit Pawar.
‘All decisions will be made collectively’
Addressing a press conference after meeting the governor, Fadnavis said, “I am thankful to former chief minister Eknath Shinde for extending Shiv Sena’s support through a formal letter, enabling my swearing-in as chief minister. Ajit Pawar has also offered his backing with a letter of support”.
He added that though he has become Chief minister, the three of them will work together and that the designation is merely a technicality. “All decisions will be made collectively to ensure good governance in Maharashtra.”
Ajit Pawar, who is set to become the deputy chief minister for the sixth time, said, “Now that the numbers are with us, both state and Centre will do better. The numbers are such that we don’t have to think if someone is going here or there, or if someone is unhappy… although we won’t let anyone be unhappy.”
He added, “We will work together and take Maharashtra to new heights, and make it the most developed state in the country.”
Shinde, who has agreed to be the deputy chief minister after being the chief minister, said at the press conference, “Around two and a half years ago, at the very same spot, Fadnavis had proposed my name for chief ministerial position. Today, I have given my party’s support to make Fadnavis the chief minister. I already informed you that whatever is decided by PM Modi, Shah and Nadda will be acceptable to us.”
He added that the three of them have worked together as a team. “No one was big or small among us. Our responsibility has increased. We will work as a team. Fadnavis has been the chief minister for five years and his experience helped us in the two and a half years. Now also, we will work as a team.”
(Edited by Mannat Chugh)
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