Maharashtra is set to witness the swearing-in of its 31st Chief Minister on December 5 at 1 p.m. The ceremony will take place at Azad Maidan near Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in south Mumbai. BJP MLA from Colaba and State Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar confirmed the details.

The event is expected to be attended by prominent leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, several central ministers, and chief ministers from BJP-ruled states and allied parties.

Although the BJP is yet to formally elect Devendra Fadnavis as its legislature party leader, party insiders suggest he is the clear choice for the role. Fadnavis, who previously served as Maharashtra's Chief Minister from 2014 to 2019, briefly held the position again during a short-lived alliance with Ajit Pawar in 2019.

The BJP is set to hold a legislative meeting on Monday to finalize its leader. Following this, Fadnavis, along with Shiv Sena and NCP representatives, will present their claim to form the government before Governor CP Radhakrishnan.

In the recent Assembly elections on November 20, the BJP-led MahaYuti alliance achieved a decisive victory. The BJP secured 132 seats, Shiv Sena won 57, and the NCP garnered 41 seats. While the alliance contested under CM Eknath Shinde's leadership, the BJP has indicated that the Chief Minister’s position will remain with the party.

Discussions regarding cabinet berths and ministerial allocations are ongoing and are expected to be finalized by Tuesday. State BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankule has advised newly elected MLAs to ensure broad participation during the swearing-in ceremony.

Ahead of the event, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) conducted a meeting in Nagpur, reflecting on its significant role in the BJP's election campaign.