Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers expressed their preference for senior leader Devendra Fadnavis as the next Chief Minister of Maharashtra. The chanting of Fadnavis's name ensued when the state unit chief, Chandrashekhar Bawankule, sought the opinion of the party members on the matter.
Bawankule was addressing party workers in Bhandara, some 800 kilometres from here, and had asked who should take oath as CM next at the metropolis’ Wankhede Stadium. Party workers must work had to realise this dream, Bawankule said in reply to the chants.
Following the rebellion led by Eknath Shinde in June of the previous year, which resulted in the downfall of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, a new government led by Shinde was established. In an unexpected turn of events, the BJP then called upon Devendra Fadnavis to take the oath as the Deputy Chief Minister. Fadnavis, who was CM between 2014 and 2019, incidentally, had made the now-famous remark I will be back while campaigning for the 2019 Assembly polls. The BJP and Shiv Sena alliance broke soon after on the question of sharing the CM’s post, following which Uddhav Thackeray joined hands with the NCP and Congress to form the MVA and became CM.
Several BJP leaders, including Fadnavis, have said earlier CM Shinde will lead the alliance in the 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in the state.