MUMBAI: Right through the 2019 assembly election campaign, Devendra Fadnavis had kept saying ‘Mee Punha Yein’ (I’ll be back). With the MVA forming its govt, however, the remark was thrown at him repeatedly as a taunt by his rivals. They also rubbed it in when he became Eknath Shinde‘s deputy 2.5 years ago. But he has finally proved his words right: he’s back at the helm with a resounding mandate of 132 seats for BJP and of 230 for Mahayuti and is poised to take oath as chief minister of Maharashtra once again at 5 pm this evening at Azad Maidan.
It was caretaker CM Shinde who proposed his name on Wednesday, hours after Fadnavis was unanimously chosen legislative party leader of BJP. Shinde said, “Fadnavis had recommended my name as CM, & this time, we are recommending his.”
After the BJP legislators’ meet, the CM-designate met Governor CP Radhakrishnan with Shinde and Ajit Pawar – who is slated to be deputy CM for the sixth time, a record in India – and staked claim to form govt. Shinde has agreed to be deputy CM following a closed-door meeting that Fadnavis had with him on Wednesday evening.
The CM and deputy CM will be sworn in today while the rest of the cabinet is likely to take oath once the power-sharing formula, which is still in the works, is finalised.
Fadnavis extended special thanks to Shinde after the latter proposed his name. He said that he had, on Tuesday, requested Shinde to join the cabinet, and he believed he would be able to persuade him.
