Mumbai, December 4: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Devendra Fadnavis announced on Wednesday that Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan has invited the Mahayuti alliance to form the next government, with the oath-taking ceremony scheduled for tomorrow.
Fadnavis revealed that the leaders of the Mahayuti alliance met with the Governor and submitted letters of support for the formation of the new government. He, along with Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde and NCP leader Ajit Pawar, met Governor Radhakrishnan to stake their claim for the formation of the government. BJP's Central Observers for the state, Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, were also present at the meeting.
This development follows the BJP's decision earlier in the day to unanimously elect Fadnavis as the Leader of the Maharashtra BJP Legislative Party.
Speaking to reporters, Fadnavis said, "We met with the Governor and presented the letters of support to claim the formation of the government. Our alliance partners, Shiv Sena and NCP, requested that I be sworn in as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, and the Governor has accepted all these requests. He has invited us to the oath-taking ceremony tomorrow at 5:30 pm."
Fadnavis emphasized that the leaders of the Mahayuti alliance will work together for the welfare of Maharashtra. He also mentioned that decisions regarding the cabinet expansion would be made in future meetings.
"The posts of Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister are purely technical positions. We will all work together for the progress of Maharashtra. The distribution of other ministerial posts will be decided in upcoming meetings," he added.
Fadnavis also revealed that Eknath Shinde, in his capacity as the Shiv Sena President and leader of its Legislative Party, had submitted a letter recommending Fadnavis for the post of Chief Minister. Similarly, NCP President Ajit Pawar, in his role as the leader of the NCP Legislature Party, had also submitted a letter of recommendation. Independent MLAs supporting the alliance have also provided their letters to the Governor.
The results of the Maharashtra Assembly Election 2024 marked a decisive victory for the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance, which secured 235 seats out of 288. The BJP emerged as the single-largest party with 132 seats, while Shiv Sena and NCP won 57 and 41 seats, respectively.
