Celebrations broke out outside the residence of Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai as he was unanimously elected as the leader of the Maharashtra BJP legislature party. This momentous decision paves the way for his appointment as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra once again. Supporters of Fadnavis gathered in large numbers, bursting crackers and chanting slogans in praise of the BJP leader, marking the occasion with enthusiasm.
His appointment as Chief Minister is expected to solidify the BJP's position in the state, following a period of intense political negotiations and discussions. Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde is likely to become the Deputy Chief Minister along with NCP's Ajit Pawar. Fadnavis, Shinde and Pawar will take oath on Thursday at 5 pm at the iconic Azad Maidan in Mumbai, said BJP Maharashtra president Chandrashekhar Bawankule. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the swearing-in ceremony. Addressing a party event after being named the chief ministerial pick, Fadnavis reiterated PM Modi's 'ek hai, safe hai' slogan. It seemed to be a hint that the Mahayuti coalition was united. At the BJP meeting, Fadnavis's name for the top job was proposed by Vijay Rupani, who was sent as the party's observer to Mumbai. The proposal was unanimously seconded by senior BJP leaders like Sudhir Mungantiwar and Pankaja Munde.
The development comes nearly two weeks after the Mahayuti received a massive mandate (230 out of 288 seats) in the Assembly polls. In 2014, Fadnavis became the Chief Minister for the first time at 44, making him the second-youngest after Sharad Pawar. At the time, the BJP was in coalition with the then undivided Shiv Sena. After the 2019 Assembly polls, as the Shiv Sena walked out of the alliance amid a tussle over rotational chief ministership, the Fadnavis-led BJP joined hands with Ajit Pawar. Fadnavis took oath as the Chief Minister and Ajit Pawar as the Deputy Chief Minister. However, the government lasted for around 80 hours as Ajit Pawar returned to the NCP fold.