Devendra Fadnavis has officially taken the reins as Maharashtra's Chief Minister for the third time. Following a decisive victory in the state assembly elections, the Mahayuti alliance, consisting of BJP, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction), and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction), staked its claim to form the government.

The announcement came after the BJP legislature party meeting, where Fadnavis was unanimously chosen as the leader. The three alliance leaders—Devendra Fadnavis, Eknath Shinde, and Ajit Pawar—met Governor CP Radhakrishnan to formalize their claim.

The much-anticipated swearing-in ceremony is scheduled for December 5 at 5:30 PM at Mumbai's Azad Maidan, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi expected to attend.

A Landslide Victory for Mahayuti
The Mahayuti alliance delivered an overwhelming performance in the elections, securing 230 seats in the 288-member assembly. Among the key players, BJP emerged as the single largest party with 132 seats, falling short of the 145-seat majority. The Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction claimed 57 seats, while Ajit Pawar's NCP faction secured 41 seats.

Leadership Challenges and Alliance Dynamics
Earlier in November, outgoing Chief Minister Eknath Shinde submitted his resignation to Governor Radhakrishnan, transitioning to the role of caretaker CM.

The BJP’s decision to reinstate Fadnavis as CM sparked internal discussions within the coalition. Shinde’s faction advocated for a power-sharing model similar to Bihar’s, while the BJP emphasized its numerical strength in the assembly.

To balance the coalition, the BJP reportedly offered deputy chief ministerial positions to both Shinde and Pawar. However, discussions on ministerial portfolios and resource allocation continued until the final hours before the announcement.

Core Committee and Leadership Talks
Ahead of the legislature party meeting, the Maharashtra BJP held a core committee session in Mumbai. Key leaders, including Nirmala Sitharaman and Vijay Rupani, participated alongside Fadnavis. Discussions also extended to New Delhi, where Fadnavis and Shinde met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other top BJP leaders to finalize the government formation strategy.

The Mahayuti government 2.0 now embarks on its journey to govern Maharashtra, with high expectations from its diverse alliance of leaders and parties.