Page 3 - Maharashtra Assembly Elections

Devendra Fadnavis' name on oath ceremony invitation card surprises public

In an unusual twist, the formal invitation issued by Chief Secretary Sujata Saunik lists Fadnavis's name as 'Devendra Sarita Gangadharrao Fadnavis.'

Devendra Fadnavis all set to be sworn in as Maharashtra CM for third time

PM Modi, NDA chief ministers to attend swearing-in at Azad Maidan today

Eknath Shinde, Ajit Pawar to take oath as Maharashtra Dy CMs tomorrow

Devendra Fadnavis is scheduled to assume the role of Chief Minister after being unanimously elected as the Leader of the Maharashtra BJP Legislative Party earlier today

CM post is technical arrangement, will work unitedly with allies: Fadnavis

BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said the post of Chief Minister is a "technical arrangement" and he would run the new Mahayuti coalition government in Maharashtra by taking allies Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar along. Fadnavis was speaking to reporters after meeting Governor C P Radhakrishnan who invited him to form the next government. He was accompanied by Shinde and Pawar. "Chief minister's post is a technical arrangement. All three of us will work together unitedly," Fadnavis said. "I and two deputy chief ministers will take oath (during the swearing-in ceremony on Thursday evening). It is yet to be decided how many ministers will take oath," he informed. He met Shinde on Tuesday evening and invited him to join the government, Fadnavis added. But Shinde, currently the caretaker CM, evaded reply when asked whether he will join the government. 'Wait till evening," said the Shiv Sena president who was chief minister of the Mahayuti government from July 2022 onwards. Aji

Maharashtra CM swearing-in ceremony: Mumbai Police issues traffic advisory

The oath-taking ceremony of Devendra Fadnavis as Chief Minister of Maharashtra along with other dignitaries will take place at Azad Maidan, Mumbai, at 5.30 pm, on Thursday

Teacher remembers 'back bencher' Fadnavis as kind, polite, helpful student

Devendra Fadnavis, who is set to become the chief minister of Maharashtra for a third time, was a sensitive, polite and helpful student who never boasted about his family's political background, recalls one of his school teachers. He used to sit on the back row benches in the school as he was one of the taller students, says Savitri Subramanium, who was Fadnavis' teacher in Saraswati Vidyalaya here from Class 8 to 10. Fadnavis was on Wednesday unanimously elected as the Maharashtra BJP legislature party leader, paving the way for his swearing in as the chief minister for a third time. His first stint as the CM was for a full five-year term between 2014 to 2019, while the second one lasted just around 80 hours in November 2019. A six-time MLA who served as the youngest mayor of Nagpur, Fadnavis completed his school education in Nagpur - the second capital of Maharashtra. Recalling his nature, Subramanium said, "Fadnavis was average and unextraordinary in studies, but studied well. .

No sudden 'surge' in last hour of polling in Maharashtra, says official

Maharashtra's Chief Electoral Officer S Chockalingam has said the seven per cent increase in voter turnout in the last hour of polling for the state assembly elections was not a surge, as claimed by the opposition, but an "average" process. In a video statement on Monday, Chockaligam said Maharashtra is a large state with more than one lakh polling booths. "If 76 lakh voters turn up in the last hour of polling, it is only (an average of) 76 voters in each of the polling centres," he added. The assembly elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand were held last month. While the BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 of the 288 seats in Maharashtra, the JMM-led alliance bagged 56 seats in the 81-member Jharkhand assembly. 'Unlike Jharkhand, Maharashtra votes more in the later half of the day. Whereas in Jharkhand, most of the voting takes place in the first half," Chockalingam said. Jharkhand is a small state compared to Maharashtra and its voting ends at 5 pm, whereas voting in Maharashtra is allow

Sitharaman accuses 'Congress-led MVA govt' of delaying key projects

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday accused the past "Congress-led government" of stalling key infrastructure projects in Maharashtra including the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train and Mumbai Metro car shed in Aarey Colony. The previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government of the Congress, undivided Nationalist Congress Party and undivided Shiv Sena also created hurdles when the Union government tried to resolve the issues plaguing Mumbai's suburban railway network, she claimed. Sitharaman was speaking at a meeting of the state BJP legislature party where Devendra Fadnavis was elected as its leader ahead of the swearing-in of the new BJP-led government. Sitharaman, along with Vijay Rupani, was present as a central observer. "Had the Congress-led government not been in power in Maharashtra during the MVA period, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train would have already commenced," she said. Sitharaman also questioned the delay in the Aarey car shed construction, part of the

Maharashtra polls proved 'ek hain toh safe hain': CM-elect Fadnavis

An official invitation card of swearing-in ceremony sourced from Fadnavis' office states that he is set to take oath as chief minister of the State at Azad Maidan in Mumbai at 5:30 pm on December 5

Devendra Fadnavis to be sworn in as Maharashtra chief minister on Dec 5

Devendra Fadnavis will take oath as Maharashtra's 21st CM on December 5 after the Mahayuti Alliance's decisive victory. The BJP leader is set to begin his third term.

Shinde backs Fadnavis for CM as power-sharing talks heat up in Maharashtra

Eknath Shinde agrees to join the new Maharashtra government led by BJP's Fadnavis, with power-sharing talks finalising ahead of tomorrow's oath-taking ceremony

BJP to elect legislature party leader who would become next Maharashtra CM

The crucial legislature party meeting of the BJP will be held at the Maharashtra Vidhan Bhavan on Wednesday to elect its leader, who is expected take over as the next chief minister of the state. Former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis is being seen as the frontrunner for the top post in the new BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP Mahayuti government. The BJP legislature party leader elected in the meeting is then expected to meet the governor to stake a claim to form new government in the state. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani have been appointed as central observers for the BJP legislature party meeting. Rupani, who arrived in Mumbai Tuesday evening for the meeting, said late night that the legislature party leader's name will be finalised after talks with the party's newly-elected MLAs. If there is unanimity, then only one name will be selected, he said. The BJP achieved remarkable success in the November 20 Maharashtra elections, securin

BJP legislature party leader will be finalised by new MLAs: Vijay Rupani

Former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani, one of the two BJP observers for its Maharashtra legislature party meeting, on Tuesday said the name of the legislature party leader will be finalised after talks with the party's newly-elected MLAs. Rupani, who arrived in Mumbai late this evening for the meeting BJP's crucial legislature party to be held on Wednesday, said if there is unanimity, then only one name will be selected. The BJP has achieved remarkable success in the November 20 Maharashtra elections, securing 132 out of 288 seats, marking its best performance in the state so far. Former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis is being seen as the frontrunner for the top post in the new BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP government. Speaking to reporters, Rupani said, "The government will be formed. Discussions with the elected MLAs will take place tomorrow. One name will be finalised and it will be announced later." He said the process of finalising the leader of the BJP's legislative party follows

Maharashtra caretaker CM Eknath Shinde briefly hospitalised, discharged

Eknath Shinde has been suffering from a high fever and sore throat, prompting his doctors to advise him to cancel all engagements and focus on rest

Maharashtra CM to be announced on Dec 4; Fadnavis likely to take charge

Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar from the Nationalist Congress Party are expected to be sworn in as deputy chief ministers alongside Devendra Fadnavis

Prohibitory orders, security in place as Maharashtra village plans 'repoll'

Heavy police security was deployed on Tuesday at a village in Maharashtra's Malshiras assembly segment after some locals cast doubt on the EVMs and insisted on conducting a "re-election" with ballot papers, officials said. The Malshiras sub-divisional magistrate on Monday imposed prohibitory orders, under section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, from December 2 to 5 in the area to avoid any conflict or law and order situation due to the "repoll" plan of some locals, an official said. Residents of Markadwadi village under Malshiras segment in Solapur district have put up banners claiming a "repoll" will be held on December 3. The village comes under the Malshiras assembly constituency, where NCP (SP) candidate Uttam Jankar defeated BJP's Ram Satpute by 13,147 votes in the November 20 state polls, the results of which were declared on November 23. Though Jankar won the seat, Markadwadi residents claimed he polled less votes in their village against Satpute which was not

Markadwadi's DIY polls: This Maha village to hold re-vote after ECI results

Markadwadi village in Maharashtra plans to conduct a re-vote using paper ballots after dissatisfaction with the Election Commission's results in the recent Assembly elections

Police deployed after Maha villagers urge 're-election' with ballot papers

Heavy police security was deployed on Tuesday at a village in Maharashtra's Malshiras assembly segment after some locals cast doubt on the EVMs and insisted on conducting a "re-election" with ballot papers, officials said. The Malshiras sub-divisional magistrate on Monday imposed prohibitory orders, under section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, from December 2 to 5 in the area to avoid any conflict or law and order situation due to the "repoll" plan of some locals, an official said. Residents of Markadwadi village under Malshiras segment in Solapur district have put up banners claiming a "repoll" will be held on December 3. The village comes under the Malshiras assembly constituency, where NCP (SP) candidate Uttam Jankar defeated BJP's Ram Satpute by 13,147 votes in the November 20 state polls, the results of which were declared on November 2. Though Jankar won the seat, Markadwadi residents claimed he polled less votes in their village against Satpute which was not

Shinde's contribution should be duly recognised: Shiv Sena leader Kesarkar

Shiv Sena leader Deepak Kesarkar has said the Maharashtra assembly polls were recently fought under the leadership of Eknath Shinde and it is up to the BJP's central leadership to decide how to maintain his stature. The contribution of Shinde, the caretaker chief minister of the state, should be duly recognised, Kesarkar said at a press conference here on Monday. The Mahayuti, comprising the Shiv Sena led by Shinde, BJP and Ajit Pawar's NCP, won 230 out of 288 assembly seats in the November 20 polls, results of which were declared on November 23. The BJP led with 132 seats, while the Shiv Sena got 57 and NCP 41 seats. BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, two-time former CM, is widely seen as the frontrunner for the top post. The BJP has already announced that the new chief minister will take oath on December 5 at south Mumbai's Azad Maidan in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The BJP's allies Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party are each tipped to be given deputy CM posit

Maharashtra CM race: BJP-NCP mulls Eknath Shinde as Leader of Opposition

The idea is that having Eknath Shinde as the Leader of Opposition would marginalise the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in the Maharashtra assembly, ensuring that the Mahayuti government faces less criticism