New Delhi: The oath-taking ceremony of Maharashtra’s new Mahayuti government is scheduled to take place on Thursday, December 5, 2024, at 5pm at Mumbai’s historic Azad Maidan. The event will be held in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to a post by Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule on social media platform X. The party is yet to take a decision on who will be new chief minister of the state.
BJP, which emerged as the single largest party with 132 seats in the 288-member Maharashtra assembly, is set to lead the new government. Its alliance partners in the Mahayuti coalition, Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP, secured 57 and 41 seats, respectively, taking the coalition’s total to 230 seats — well above the majority mark of 145.
राज्यातील महायुती सरकारचा शपथविधी
विश्वगौरव माननीय पंतप्रधान श्री. @narendramodi जी यांच्या उपस्थितीत गुरुवार, दि. ५ डिसेंबर २०२४ रोजी संध्याकाळी ५ वाजता आझाद मैदान, मुंबई येथे संपन्न होणार आहे.
राज्य में महायुती सरकार का शपथ ग्रहण समारोह
विश्वगौरव माननीय प्रधानमंत्री श्री…
— Chandrashekhar Bawankule (@cbawankule) November 30, 2024
Suspense persists over CM’s name
In contrast, the Congress, which is part of the rival Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance, managed to win only 16 seats. The Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena faction and Sharad Pawar’s NCP faction won 20 and 10 seats respectively, further cementing the BJP’s dominance in the state.
Despite the announcement of the swearing-in ceremony, the BJP has not yet revealed who will be the new Chief Minister of the state. Intense discussions have been ongoing in both Delhi and Mumbai to finalise the face of the new government.
Devendra Fadnavis top contender
Outgoing Chief Minister Eknath Shinde recently said that he would abide by the BJP’s central leadership’s decision and not be an “obstacle”. This statement has strengthened speculation that Devendra Fadnavis, the BJP’s state leader and a former Chief Minister, is the top contender for the position.
The choice of Azad Maidan as the venue underscores the significance of the event. Known for hosting major political and cultural gatherings, the iconic ground will witness the formation of one of Maharashtra’s most powerful coalition governments in recent years.
