Mumbai: It’s official. Devendra Fadnavis will be the 18th chief minister of Maharashtra.
He was elected on Tuesday as leader of the BJP Legislature Party, clearing the way for him to become chief minister.
BJP leader Eknath Khadse moved the resolution, which was seconded by Vinod Tawde, Sudhir Mungantiwar and Pankaja Munde.
Maharashtra Governor C. Vidyasagar Rao allowed the BJP 15 days from the swearing-in ceremony, to be held on October 31, to prove its majority in the state Assembly.
Senior BJP leaders met the Governor along with Mr Fadnavis to stake their claim to form government as the single largest party in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.
J.P. Nadda, one of the party’s central observers for Maharashtra, said a small number of ministers would take the oath on October 31, clarifying that no Shiv Sena MLA or those from other parties would be included in the first oath-taking ceremony.
The Shiv Sena, still in limbo regarding its future in the new government, Shiv Sena might have to sit in the Opposition in the new Assembly. Despite rounds of discussions between BJP and Shiv Sena leaders, no consensus has been reached.
Confirming Tuesday’s developments, Mr Fadnavis said, "The governor has allowed us to take oath for ministership on Friday and prove our majority within a period of 15 days of me taking over as chief minister."
As the first chief minister of Maharashtra from the BJP, Mr Fadnavis’ name was decided in the core committee meeting of the party held before the Legislature Party meet in the afternoon.
The process for electing the leader of the BJP Legislature Party started Tuesday morning when all the MLAs, along with MPs and other senior leaders, gathered at the party headquarters. In a show of strength all the MLAs of the party, wearing turbans, marched from the party office to Vidhan Bhavan for the BJP Legislature Party meeting.
Ironically, Mr Khadse who had maintained that he was one of the contenders for the post of CM till the last minute, was forced to propose the name of Mr Fadnavis as the leader of the BJP Legislature Party.
However, immediately after the announcement, Mr Khadse made a U-turn and blamed the media for "creating a controversy". He also said that the election of Mr Fadnavis was a "unanimous decision by the party".
After Mr Fadnavis’ election, BJP MLA Sudhir Mungantiwar, who was pushing for Mr Nitin Gadkari for CM, said, "Earlier the party wanted Nitin Gadkari to be chief minister.
However, he declined... The party then backed Fadnavis and we have elected him."
Reacting to the development, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said Maharashtra would become the number one state in the country under the leadership of Mr Fadnavis.
