BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis confirmed that he will take the oath as Maharashtra’s Chief Minister at 5:30 pm tomorrow, December 5, at Azad Maidan in Mumbai. During a press conference after staking his claim to form the state government, Fadnavis also extended an invitation to Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde, urging him to join his cabinet. Governor CP Radhakrishnan has reportedly scheduled the oath ceremony at the specified time.
The oath ceremony will take place tomorrow at 5:30 pm, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in attendance. Devendra Fadnavis mentioned, “We will decide by evening who will take the oath tomorrow,” indicating that the final decisions regarding the formation of the cabinet will be made later today.
“Yesterday, I met with Eknath Shinde and conveyed to him that it is the desire of Mahayuti workers for him to be part of this government. I am confident that he will stand with us, and together, we will fulfill the promises made to the people of Maharashtra,” Devendra Fadnavis stated.
Devendra Fadnavis confirmed that Governor CP Radhakrishnan has scheduled the oath ceremony for 5:30 pm. Meanwhile, Eknath Shinde, who had been considering a role in the new government, stated that he would decide whether to accept the suggestion to join the cabinet. “I will decide on the suggestion that I should be in the cabinet,” Shinde told the media.
Shinde had been competing for the position of Maharashtra’s Chief Minister but later announced his support for the BJP’s CM pick. Recently, he had been in Thane citing health issues, fueling speculation about internal discord within the Mahayuti alliance. However, Shinde returned to Mumbai on Tuesday and met with Fadnavis to discuss the next steps.
Rupani, the BJP’s central observer for Maharashtra, stated that the names of other cabinet ministers will be finalized after discussions with Mahayuti partners. He emphasized that there were no disagreements within the coalition, assuring, “There are no differences in Mahayuti, all are happy and everything is well.”
In a significant development, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today unanimously elected Devendra Fadnavis as the leader of the Maharashtra BJP Legislative Party, clearing the path for his appointment as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra.