Maharashtra: Devendra Fadnavis Elected As Leader Of BJP Legislative Party, Promises 'Mahayuti Govt'

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was on Wednesday re-elected leader of the state BJP legislature party. All the 105 newly-elected BJP MLAs were present at the meeting, where Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar and party vice president Avinash Rai Khanna were present as central observers.

The meeting was held at Vidhan Bhawan in south Mumbai. Tomar said no other name was proposed at the BJP legislature party meeting.

A turban-clan Fadnavis thanked party MLAs for reposing faith in him and giving him another chance to serve the state. He also thanked Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray in his speech. He also expressed belief that BJP-Shiv Sena will form the government soon.

"This mandate is surely for 'mahayuti' (BJP-Shiv Sena alliance) as we sought votes for 'mahayuti'. People also voted for it. So there should be not doubt. It will be a 'mahayuti' govt,"  Devendra Fadnavis said.

The meeting came in the backdrop of the power sharing tussle between the BJP and Shiv Sena after results of the October 21 Assembly elections were declared on October 24.

On Tuesday, Fadnavis had announced during an informal meeting with journalists, “I will be Maharashtra Chief Minister for next five years.” Fadnavis had refuted any tension between the allies and said that there was no trouble and the BJP and Shiv Sena will form the government in Maharashtra.

The statement came a day after Fadnavis called on Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari. Interestingly, the Shiv Sena leaders also met the Governor, albeit separately.

In the recent polls to 288-member Assembly, the BJP won 105 seats, a loss of 17 seats compared to its 2014 tally. The Sena’s tally also came down to 56 seats from 63 in 2014. A resurgent NCP won 54 and the Congress bagged 44 seats.