Maharashtra legislature party to pick CM on Wed; Sitharaman, Rupani named observers

Mumbai: The name of the Maharashtra chief minister will be announced on Wednesday, a day ahead of the swearing-in ceremony of the Mahayuti government, after the BJP elects its legislature party leader, a senior functionary said on Monday.

The BJP on Monday named Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani as central observers for its Maharashtra legislature party's meeting, where the MLAs will elect their leader.

"Rupani and Sitharaman would meet the BJP's elected representatives in Mumbai on Wednesday. Following this meeting, the chosen candidate's name will be relayed to senior leaders in Delhi. These observers will then announce the elected leader of the BJP, who is set to be the next chief minister," the BJP functionary told PTI.

The BJP has already announced that the new chief minister will take oath on December 5 at Azad Maidan in Mumbai in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders.

Though the party has not made any formal announcement, a senior BJP leader on Sunday claimed Devendra Fadnavis' name has been finalised for the CM's post.

The BJP's two main allies in the Mahayuti colation, the Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party, are each tipped to be given deputy CM positions in the new government.

Eknath Shinde, who is the caretaker chief minister, has already made it clear that he will not come in the way of BJP getting the chief minister's post.

In the recently concluded state polls, the Mahayuti won 230 of the 288 assembly seats. The BJP led with 132 seats, while the Shiv Sena got 57 and NCP 41 seats.