Mumbai: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Devendra Fadnavis is likely to be sworn in as the new chief minister of Maharashtra later today, a day after Uddhav Thackeray defied the governor’s order to face a floor test to lose the Supreme Court battle. Later resigned as the Chief Minister of the state. According to sources, Fadnavis is likely to take oath at around 7 pm today. It also emerged that rebel Shiv Sena MLA Eknath Shinde is also expected to take oath as the deputy CM.
According to the news, only 2 people will take oath tonight. Latest reports claim that Fadnavis and Shinde are on their way to meet Governor BS Koshyari at Raj Bhavan. After taking oath, both of them are also expected to hold a joint press conference.
Shiv Sena rebel Eknath Shinde, who arrived in Mumbai from Goa on Thursday afternoon, met senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis at his official residence in south Mumbai and discussed the formation of the next government in Maharashtra after the fall of the MVA government a day earlier. . ,
Shinde and Fadnavis held a brief meeting at the latter’s residence, before the two accompanied several BJP leaders to the Raj Bhavan. BJP leaders said they would hand over letters of support to the MLAs to Governor BS Koshyari to stake claim to form the government.
The BJP has said that it has the support of a total of 170 MLAs, including MLAs from Shinde’s rebel faction. In view of Shinde’s arrival in the city, the Mumbai Police had made tight security arrangements. Roads were cleared so that Shinde’s convoy was not obstructed while going to ‘Sagar’, the official bungalow of Fadnavis in south Mumbai’s Malabar Hill.
An official said Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Vishwas Nangre Patil himself led the cavalry, while other police officers were guarding the entire route for speedy movement and also to ensure that Shiv Sena supporters were not allowed to move. There was no opposition.
“Shinde, who landed at the Mumbai airport in a chartered plane this afternoon, was escorted from the airport to south Mumbai. Traffic on the route was suspended to facilitate the passage of Shinde’s convoy,” officials said.
Shinde was seen shaking the hands of supporters all the way. Officials said that some Shiv Sena workers who were trying to protest outside ‘Sagar’ have been detained.
The BJP has 106 MLAs in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. The strength of the MVA before the mutiny in the army was 152 – Sena (55), NCP (53), Congress (44). Small parties and independents account for the remaining 29, among others.