Devendra Fadnavis set to become Maharashtra's new Chief Minister for a third term

In a significant political development, BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis is poised to take charge as Chief Minister of Maharashtra for the third time following a crucial meeting of the party on Wednesday. This decision comes after the Mahayuti alliance regained power in the state, bringing an end to several days of speculation about the leadership.

Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde is expected to assume the role of Deputy Chief Minister, along with NCP's Ajit Pawar, further solidifying the alliance's governance structure.

The swearing-in ceremony for Fadnavis, Shinde, and Pawar is scheduled for Thursday at 5 PM at the historic Azad Maidan in Mumbai, as confirmed by BJP Maharashtra president Chandrashekhar Bawankule. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to grace the occasion with his presence.

During the BJP meeting, Fadnavis's candidacy for Chief Minister was proposed by Vijay Rupani, the party's observer in Mumbai. The proposal received unanimous support from prominent BJP leaders, including Sudhir Mungantiwar and Pankaja Munde, marking a strong consensus within the party.

At the event where he was announced as the candidate for chief minister, Fadnavis emphasised Prime Minister Modi's slogan "ek hai, safe hai," which translates to "together we are safe." This statement appeared to suggest that the Mahayuti coalition is united.

The recent political development follows a significant win for the Mahayuti coalition, which secured 232 out of 288 seats in the Assembly elections. Despite this victory, the coalition struggled to form a new government due to initial demands from Eknath Shinde to remain Chief Minister.

Progress was made last week when Shinde stated he would not obstruct the government formation and would follow the decisions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.

Devendra Fadnavis, seen as a key strategist behind the BJP's record success in Maharashtra (winning 132 of 149 contested seats), has strong support from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for the Chief Minister position.

This situation represents a notable comeback for Fadnavis, who has been a prominent figure in Mumbai politics. He first became Chief Minister in 2014 at age 44, during a coalition with the Shiv Sena. In 2019, after the Shiv Sena left the alliance, Fadnavis briefly held office again with Ajit Pawar as Deputy Chief Minister, but this government fell apart within 80 hours.

Fadnavis was considered a contender for Chief Minister once more in 2022 after Shinde's revolt led to the downfall of the previous government, but he accepted a position as Deputy Chief Minister under Shinde instead.