PREPARATIONS are in full swing at the Azad Maidan here for the swearing-in ceremony of the new MahaYuti Government in Maharashtra on December 5, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi expected to attend the event. BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis is being considered the frontrunner for the Chief Minister’s post, but the MahaYuti alliance has not announced any name yet with the State BJP legislature party’s meeting scheduled to take place on December 4. Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule has been overseeing preparations for the ceremony and visited the venue in south Mumbai on Monday. While Bawankule had earlier said that Modi will attend the event, invitations have also been extended to Chief Ministers and Deputy Chief Ministers of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA)-ruled States. Additionally, Central Ministers, Governors and key Central BJP office-bearers are also expected to be present, BJP sources said.

 

A meeting to finalise the preparations was held at the State BJP office on Tuesday, attended by Mumbai unit chief Ashish Shelar, the party’s leader in the Maharashtra legislative council Pravin Darekar, Prasad Lad and others. The BJP has also invited religious leaders, artists and writers from across the State. “The swearing-in ceremony will showcase the spirit of the MahaYuti alliance while honouring Maharashtra’s cultural diversity,” a senior leader said. Fadnavis, a two-time former Chief Minister, is widely seen as the likely candidate for the top post. The BJP has named Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and former Gujarat CMVijay Rupani as central observers for the Wednesday morning meeting where the State legislature party leader will be elected. The party recorded its best-ever electoral performance by winning 132 seats in the 288-member Maharashtra Legislative Assembly in the November 20 elections. The MahaYuti coalition that includes Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-led NCP won a total of 230 seats. There were reports that caretaker CM Eknath Shinde had conveyed his displeasure at not being given a second chance as CM by retreating to his village Dare in Satara district, but he attributed the visit to a need for rest after a hectic election campaign.

 

 

AHEAD of the crucial legislature party meeting scheduled for Wednesday, BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis met with caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday, the first in-person meeting since their discussions in Delhi last week for Government formation. The hour-long meeting’s details remain unclear, with political observers interpreting it in various ways. Some view it as an outreach effort by the BJP to placate an ally which is weighing its options, while others believe it served as a preliminary discussion regarding the swearing-in ceremony set for December 5. As preparations intensify for the swearing-in event at Azad Maidan, which will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, around 2,000 VVIPs, and approximately 40,000 supporters, the identity of the new Chief Minister remains uncertain.

 

Clarity on this matter is expected to emerge after the state BJP’s legislature party meeting at Vidhan Bhawan on Wednesday morning, where the party will elect its leader. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, designated as central observers for the BJP legislature party meeting. The BJP has achieved remarkable success in the November 20 Maharashtra elections, securing 132 out of 288 seats, marking its best performance in the state so far. Earlier in the day, Shinde visited a private hospital for a health check-up, setting tongues wagging in the Maharashtra political circles. Fadnavis, seen as the frontrunner for the top post in the new BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP government, met Shinde at the latter’s official residence ‘Varsha’ in Mumbai. Shinde, who had been staying at his private residence in Thane for the last few days, visited the hospital in the morning.

 

“I came for a check-up. My health is in good condition,” he told reporters while leaving the hospital. A doctor said Shinde had throat issues. “The CM had a fever and infection, which caused weakness. He also underwent an MRI scan as a precautionary measure,” he said. Shinde, whose party, Shiv Sena, is a constituent of the BJP-led Mahayuti coalition, has been unwell for the last few days. His decision to head to his village in Satara district last Friday had sparked speculation that he was unhappy over the way the new government was shaping up. There are indications that the distribution of portfolios among the three allies might not be a smooth process. Sena leaders on Monday said that as per the “convention” of alliance politics, their party should get the home portfolio if the CM post went to the BJP.