The Mahayuti alliance, comprising the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) faction, is set to form the new government in Maharashtra.
BJP will have the Chief Minister, while the Deputy Chief Minister posts will go to the other two allies, says NCP Chief Ajit Pawar.
NCP leader Ajit Pawar confirmed the arrangement on Saturday, stating, “The state will have one Chief Minister from BJP and two Deputy Chief Ministers from the other two parties of Mahayuti. Tentatively, the oath-taking ceremony will take place on December 5.”
Maharashtra BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankule also announced the swearing-in ceremony via a post on X (formerly Twitter), confirming that the event will take place at Azad Maidan in Mumbai on December 5 at 5 PM. The ceremony will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Mahayuti alliance secured a resounding victory in the recent Maharashtra assembly elections, winning 230 out of 288 seats. The BJP emerged as the single-largest party with 132 seats, followed by Shiv Sena with 57 and NCP with 41.
Cabinet Discussions Underway
Caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, along with his deputies Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, recently met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP President JP Nadda in Delhi to discuss the cabinet formation. Shinde expressed his willingness to abide by any decision made by the BJP leadership regarding the Chief Minister’s post.
While BJP is expected to name Devendra Fadnavis as Chief Minister, Eknath Shinde has reportedly sought a heavyweight portfolio such as the Home Department in addition to the Deputy Chief Minister position. Discussions on the distribution of portfolios are ongoing, with leaders of the three parties working on a formula to allocate ministerial roles.
Delay In Announcement
The announcement of the Chief Minister has been delayed following Shinde’s unexpected return to his village in Satara district. His departure paused discussions, raising speculation about internal disagreements. However, NCP and Shiv Sena leaders have denied any discord, emphasizing that the alliance remains united.
ALSO READ: Eknath Shinde Concedes To BJP’s Decision On Maharashtra’s Next CM, ‘No Obstacle From Our End’
