Maharashtra New CM, Devendra Fadnavis, says ‘Modi hai toh mumkin hai’

Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule says, “We all fought a historic election in the leadership of Devendra Fadanvis, and we won a historic mandate for Mahayuti. We are committed to taking Maharashtra to the number one position with the help of PM Modi. We should thank crores of the people of Maharashtra that we contested 149 seats and won 132 which is the highest in history. Our allies also won 57 and 41 seats. 7 MLAs have also supported us so we will have 237 Mahayuti members in this Assembly…”

Celebrations began outside the residence of BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis in Maharashtra’s Nagpur after the state BJP Legislative Party unanimously chose him as its leader.

BJP leaders will attend the legislative party meeting following the core committee session in the central hall of Mumbai’s Vidhan Bhawan.

Devendra Fadnavis is set to take the oath as Maharashtra Chief Minister on December 5. According to news agency PTI sources, his name was finalised in a BJP core committee meeting.

The Maharashtra BJP convened a core committee meeting in Mumbai before the legislature party meeting. Key leaders were in attendance, including Nirmala Sitharaman, Vijay Rupani, and Devendra Fadnavis.

MLAs gather for BJP’s legislature party meeting in Mumbai, where the announcement of Maharashtra’s new Chief Minister is anticipated. The swearing-in ceremony for the new Mahayuti government is set to take place tomorrow at Azad Maidan.

Traffic Police have issued vehicular restrictions for Dec 5 when the swearing in ceremony of chief minister and deputy chief minister of Maharashtra is to take place at Azad Maidan. “A large number of people are expected to arrive at Azad Maidan. Please plan your journey accordingly,” said DCP (traffic) Pradnya Jedge in a press statement.

In a breakthrough in power-sharing talks between BJP and Shiv Sena, Eknath Shinde has agreed to join the new Mahayuti govt and will likely be one of two deputy CMs to be sworn in on Thursday in a govt that could be led by BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis, a Sena neta close to Shinde said after Fadnavis met the caretaker CM at his official Varsha residence on Tuesday evening.

The face-to-face interaction between Fadnavis and Shinde took place six days after they were in New Delhi for a meeting with Union home minister Amit Shah. Sources said Fadnavis visited the CM’s official residence to convince Shinde to join the govt.

Offering a climbdown from his demand of being allowed to continue as the head of the Mahayuti govt, Sena chief Eknath Shinde asked BJP brass at a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi last week that if it wasn’t possible to give him the post for govt’s full term, he should be made the CM for at least the first six months, a veteran politician has revealed. But he said BJP leadership rejected this proposal outright, saying it would set a bad precedent.

“There is no system of appointing a CM for six months; it would be a bad decision and would hurt the administration,” he said, citing BJP functionaries. The meeting was held on Nov 28, a day after Shinde said he would not be an obstacle to the formation of the and would accept any decision BJP brass took as “final”. BJP functionary Devendra Fadnavis also attended it, as did NCP president Ajit Pawar, its working president Praful Patel, and its state chief Sunil Tatkare.

According to the politician, Shinde initially reminded BJP brass of the purported promise made after the Lok Sabha election and in the run-up to the assembly polls that if the alliance secured a clear majority, he would be retained as the chief minister. This request was rejected outright on the grounds that it would be wrong to give him the post when BJP secured “a near clear majority” in the 288-member House. BJP won 132 seats, Sena 57 and NC. In 2014, BJP had secured 122 seats and Fadnavis was then elected as CM with NCP’s outside support. In response, Shinde was asked to put himself in the shoes of the BJP president, the politician said. “The BJP leadership told Shinde: ‘Will you give up the claim to the CM post if you secured a clear majority?’ Shinde was left speechless,” he said.

Senior NCP members are camping in Delhi to bargain for a considerable share for the party in the Maharashtra cabinet, looking to equal the number Shiv Sena gets in Mahayuti’s second term, reports Anurag Bende. NCP chief Ajit Pawar, party’s state president Sunil Tatkare, and other senior members have been in Delhi for the last couple of days, waiting to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss the cabinet formation.

While NCP got the least seats among the Mahayuti partners, the party is pressing for the same number of posts as Shiv Sena. “Though Shiv Sena won more seats, NCP wants an equal number of cabinet posts along with the Sena. While deputy CM’s post for Ajit Pawar is confirmed, the party wants to accommodate more of its members in the cabinet. Senior members have travelled to Delhi to discuss the possibilities,” a senior BJP member said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi on Tuesday criticised the Mahayuti alliance for the delay in declaring the chief ministerial candidate for Maharashtra, calling it sad that they are disrespecting the mandate they received.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader alleged that no one has yet staked a claim before the Governor to form the government.

“It is not a matter of humour but of sadness that they insulted the mandate they received. They have announced that the oath-taking ceremony will take place on December 5, but the Governor is unaware. No one has staked a claim before him to form the government, nor has he invited anyone. Nobody knows who the chief minister will be. It is disheartening for Maharashtra that despite such a strong mandate, they cannot make a decision. In contrast, the chief minister of Jharkhand has already taken the oath, but this is not happening in Maharashtra,” Priyanka told news agency ANI.

The Mahayuti alliance, led by the BJP, won a landslide victory in the November 23 Maharashtra Assembly elections. However, the alliance has yet to finalise its chief ministerial candidate.

Commenting on suggestions from TMC leaders that chief minister Mamata Banerjee should be made the leader of the INDIA bloc, days after Congress faced a crushing defeat in the Maharashtra Assembly polls, Priyanka Chaturvedi said the matter would be discussed, and a resolution would be worked out.

“This should be discussed, and we will work out a solution. However, we are very clear that there should be no compromise with the Constitution and our democracy,” she said. (ANI)

“We’ve had a discussion in a very cordial, constructive, positive atmosphere. I started by telling the Commission that ultimately we are furthering the cause of democracy because an uneven non-level playing field for elections directly affects and undermines the basic structure of the Indian Constitution. We said that we are here before you in a constructive spirit, in the interest of transparency and to reduce the trust deficit and ultimately our first step is to get disclosure of large volumes of raw data. Once we have the raw data we will be able to give our own conclusions and further analysis will follow,” said Abhishek Manu Singhvi who was part of the Congress delegation that visited the EC office.

“This government has not come by the votes of the people. It has been formed because of the BJP people sitting in Delhi. They do not care about the people. …We met the Election Commission today and will see what decision they take,” said Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole after meeting Election Commission over Maharashtra Election result.

“Devendra Fadnavis had come to meet him Eknath Shinde to inquire about his ill health,” said Shiv Sena leader Bharatshet Gogawale on the meeting between caretaker CM of Maharashtra, Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis.

On being asked if Eknath Shinde will take oath (during government formation), he said: “After a decision is taken, Eknath Shinde will take the oath.” (ANI)

A broad consensus has emerged among top BJP leaders and other Mahauti allies to drop ministers facing serious allegations of corruption in the new government, a Shiv Sena leader said on Tuesday. He said a decision on the allocation of portfolios will be finalised only after BJP legislators elect their legislature party leader on Wednesday.

The new government is scheduled to take oath on December 5 at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other top leaders.

“During a meeting with top BJP leaders in Delhi about Cabinet portfolios, a broad consensus emerged to drop individuals who have served as ministers and are facing serious corruption allegations,” said Shiv Sena leader Kiran Pawaskar.

It’s a kind of report card the BJP’s top brass has sought, he told reporters in Mumbai. (PTI)