Leaders of the Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra – BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde, and NCP President Ajit Pawar – met Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan on Wednesday to stake their claim to form the state government.
Shinde and Pawar presented their letters of support for Fadnavis as the chief minister, after he was unanimously elected as the leader of the BJP legislative party.
Following this, the Governor formally invited the Mahayuti alliance to form the government.
Fadnavis later told reporters that the swearing-in ceremony would take place on Thursday at 5.30 pm in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He added that he had met Shinde on Tuesday and invited him to join the government.
“I am sure that he (Shinde) will accept my request. Similar appeals have been made by the Shiv Sena legislators. During the last two-and-half years, we (Eknath Shinde, Ajit Pawar and myself) together took decisions for Maharashtra’s development. We will decide by late evening how many ministers will take oath tomorrow,” Fadnavis said.
“I am thankful to the PM for giving me an opportunity to serve the state. I also thank Home Minister Amit Shah, party president J.P. Nadda and Union Minister Ramdas Athavale for their support,” he added.
Ajit Pawar also confirmed that he would take the oath on Thursday.
“We will work together to develop Maharashtra. We have experience helping various sections. The Centre is with us. There is a huge majority. There is no scope for any possibility of discontent. We will make efforts to fulfil all promises given to the people ahead of the Assembly election,” said Pawar.
Eknath Shinde, for his part, reflected on his past collaboration with Fadnavis.
“Five years ago, Devendra Fadnavis had made a recommendation to the Governor for me to become the chief minister. Today, I have extended Shiv Sena’s support to Devendra Fadnavis as the chief minister. I had already said that I will abide by the decision taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on government formation,” Shinde said.
He also invited everyone to the swearing-in ceremony and expressed his respect for Fadnavis’s request to join the government.
“We as Mahayuti partners were working together as a common man’s government. We took decisions for welfare and development schemes. The projects stalled by the Maha Vikas Aghadi government were revived. We made efforts to transform the lives of the common man,” he added.
(with IANS input)
