BREAKING | Fadnavis Likely to take oath as Maharashtra CM on Nov 27th or 28th: Sources

New Delhi: BJP leader and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is expected to take oath as Maharashtra CM on Nov 27th or 28th, sources informed Republic TV. The development comes two days after the Mahayuti alliance made a triumphant return to power in Maharashtra, with the BJP securing its position as the single-largest party by winning 132 of the 288 assembly seats. Its allies, the Shiv Sena faction led by Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar ’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), secured 57 and 41 seats respectively. On the other hand, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) suffered a massive setback, managing to win only 46 seats in total. 

Power-sharing Discussion Underway Between BJP And Shiv Sena

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena are discussing power-sharing in Maharashtra. According to top sources, the negotiations center around a 50-50 formula, including the Chief Ministerial post.

While both parties are yet to arrive at a final agreement, sources indicated that BJP leader and former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is likely to retain the Chief Ministerial position. The Shiv Sena, which has been pushing for equitable distribution of responsibilities, is reportedly holding firm on its demands.

If the negotiations conclude successfully, the oath-taking ceremony for the new Maharashtra government is expected to take place on November 27 or 28. The final decision is likely to emerge after further discussions between the two alliance partners. 

'No Dispute Over CM's Post in Mahayuti'

Fadnavis on Saturday said there was no dispute over the chief minister's post and leaders of Mahayuti will decide on the issue together as the saffron party-led coalition is heading for a landslide victory.

Addressing reporters, Fadnavis said the results of the Maharashtra assembly polls show that the state supports PM Narendra Modi and also thanked women voters. "The opposition’s efforts to propagate a fake narrative, and polarise voters based on religion was foiled by masses," said Fadnavis.

Shiv Sena Demands Re-Election 

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs). Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.

We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.

Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.

The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored." Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.

"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.

Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.