BJP has a date for swearing in Chief Minister but doesn’t have a name yet

Amid ongoing suspense over Maharashtra’s next Chief Minister, BJP state chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule announced that the new government’s oath-taking ceremony will be held on December 5.
Taking to X, Chandrashekhar said that the swearing-in ceremony will be held at 5 pm at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan. The event, he said, will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“The oath-taking ceremony of the Mahayuti government in Maharashtra will be held on Thursday, December 5, 2024, at 5 pm at Azad Maidan, Mumbai. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the event,” he posted.
The announcement came a day after caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde travelled to his hometown after cancelling a meeting with Mahayuti bloc partners, further delaying the government formation process. A Shiv Sena leader said that Shinde went to his hometown, Satara, as he was not feeling well.
Earlier this week, in an effort to end the deadlock over who will sit in the Chief Minister’s chair, Eknath Shinde, along with BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis and NCP leader Ajit Pawar, met Union Home Minister Amit Shah at his residence in Delhi.
However, no decision was made during the meeting.
The Mahayuti alliance secured a stunning victory in the recently concluded Assembly elections, grabbing 230 of 288 seats. The BJP emerged as the largest party with a record 132 seats, followed by Shinde Sena and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP at 57 and 41 seats respectively.
However, even a week after decimating the opposition Maha Vikas Agadhi (MVA), the Mahayuti alliance is yet to make a decision on Maharashtra government formation and portfolio allocation.