Mumbai: The name of Devendra Fadnavis has been approved as the next Chief Minister of Maharashtra in the meeting of the core committee of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today. This decision was taken after the meeting of the core group of BJP held in Mumbai, after which, the meeting of the legislative party has started. Along with the BJP MLAs in the assembly, those independent MLAs who are with the BJP have also reached and indicated to support the government. Former Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman are present in the meeting of the legislative party as observers of BJP, who have become a part of this process.

In a crucial meeting of the BJP legislature party, Devendra Fadnavis was named as the party’s legislative leader, positioning him as the frontrunner for the CM role. The BJP’s victory in the assembly elections has made it clear that they will have their own leader at the helm after a long wait.

For the key decision-making, the BJP had appointed Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani as central observers for the legislature party's meeting. Although an official announcement is yet to be made, a senior BJP leader confirmed that Fadnavis' name has already been finalized for the top post.

The swearing-in ceremony for the new Chief Minister will take place on December 5 at Azad Maidan in Mumbai, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other prominent leaders expected to attend.

Meanwhile, there were reports of some tension within the party. Caretaker CM Eknath Shinde, who is set to step down, had reportedly shown displeasure at not being given another term. He later clarified that his retreat to his village in Satara was simply to rest after the demanding election campaign.

As the new administration takes shape, all eyes are now on the December 5 event, marking the beginning of a new chapter in Maharashtra’s political history.