The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will hold the chief minister’s position in Maharashtra. The swearing-in ceremony is set for December 5 at Azad Maidan in Mumbai. This announcement, however, drew criticism from the Shiv Sena over its “unilateral” nature.
Ajit Pawar of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) confirmed the decision. “During the meeting in Delhi, it was decided that Mahayuti will form the government with the CM from the BJP and the remaining two parties will have DCMs (deputy chief ministers),” he said. He also addressed concerns about delays, pointing out that similar delays occurred in 1999.
State BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule announced the oath-taking ceremony on Saturday. He stated it would occur at 5 pm, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in attendance. However, this announcement, made via X (formerly Twitter), upset the Shiv Sena.
Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Shirsat criticized the announcement. “Leaders of all three parties — Eknath Shinde, Devendra Fadnavis, and Ajit Pawar — should have announced this together,” he said. He also demanded that the Shiv Sena receive the home department if the BJP gets the CM post.
Previously, deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis held the home department while Eknath Shinde was chief minister. Bawankule dismissed the demand and said such discussions should not happen publicly.
Meanwhile, caretaker CM Eknath Shinde retreated to his village in Satara on Friday due to health issues. His doctor confirmed he has a fever, throat infection, and cold, requiring intravenous medication. Shinde’s son, MP Shrikant Shinde, stated that no meetings were held on Saturday. Shinde is expected to return by Sunday.
Despite this, Shinde’s camp continues to push for control of the home department. Sources claim Shinde is resisting the BJP’s offer of a deputy CM post.
Opposition leaders have also weighed in. Sanjay Raut from Shiv Sena (UBT) claimed Shinde is “deeply upset” about losing the CM post. “He is mentally and physically disturbed,” Raut said. Uddhav Thackeray criticized the delay, accusing the coalition of being unprepared for power. He also questioned the lack of celebrations after the BJP-led Mahayuti’s “monstrous victory.”
The BJP has planned a grand ceremony for December 5. Top leaders, including PM Modi and Amit Shah, will attend. After considering multiple venues, the party finalized Azad Maidan for the event.
The administration has begun preparations for the new government. The winter session of the legislature will take place from December 16 to 24 in Nagpur. Local authorities are making arrangements for the session.
The BJP won 132 seats in the assembly, while Shiv Sena secured 57 and NCP gained 41. Despite the majority, disagreements over the CM post and portfolio distribution caused delays. Now, with plans in place, the BJP aims to stabilize the coalition and move forward effectively.
