The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday appointed Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani as central observers for its legislature party meeting to elect their leader in Maharashtra. The BJP confirmed the development in an official press release.
The development comes as the deadlock over finalising the next Maharashtra CM reached its 10th day. While Maharashtra caretaker CM Eknath Shinde has cancelled his meetings today since he was unwell, NCP chief Ajit Pawar went to Delhi to meet the top BJP leadership over government formation in the state.
In this meeting, Pawar will also discuss the Maharashtra cabinet portfolio allocations with the saffron party's top brass. Sources within the Shiv Sena, however, told India Today there was no scheduled meeting among the Mahayuti leaders today.
They added the Shiv Sena was waiting for the BJP to schedule the meeting between the Mahayuti allies. No meeting of the Mahayuti will be held today. Furthermore, senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis dialed Eknath Shinde to check on his health.
The Mahayuti comprises the BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-led NCP. It has been 10 days since the Mahayuti won a landslide majority and the state of Maharashtra still doesn't have a government.
Earlier in the day, a senior BJP leader told news agency PTI that Devendra Fadnavis' name has been finalised as the new Maharashtra CM. He added that Fadnavis will be elected as the BJP's legislature party leader in a party meeting on December 2 or 3.
Interestingly, Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Saturday announced that the oath-taking ceremony of the new government will take place in Mumbai's Azad Maidan on December 5. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also expected to attend the oath-taking ceremony.
The Mahayuti won 230 of the 288 assembly seats in the state. Of the three allies, the BJP emerged as the largest party with 132 seats. The Shiv Sena and the NCP bagged 57 and 41 seats, respectively.