speculation and suspense continued because of the Maharashtra CM’s name not being announced even on Saturday evening, after a week of the thumping victory of the BJP-backed Mahayuti alliance.

AMN / WEB DESK

The much-anticipated oath-taking ceremony of the newly elected Mahayuti government in Maharashtra will take place on 5th December at 5 PM at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan. In a post on the social media platform X, BJP Maharashtra President Chandrashekhar Bawankule said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the ceremony.

The Mahayuti coalition, comprising the BJP, the Shinde-led Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar’s faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), secured 230 out of 288 seats in the recently held Assembly polls. The BJP emerged as the single largest party with a record 132 seats, while the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena won 57 seats, and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP secured 41.

Meanwhile Acting Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s health deteriorated due to fever in his native Satara on Saturday. The doctor advised him to take rest. He fell sick after arriving at his native village. The family Dr Parte, said Shinde is better now. He had a 99-degree Celsius fever and was given Saline, the doctor said, adding, this is a viral infection, so, he has a little cough and cold.

In a dramatic turn of events, the acting CM cancelled his all meetings in Mumbai and suddenly went to his village, deepening suspense over his next role in the Mahayuti government. 

Earlier in the day, Shinde Shiv Sena’s made an official demand for a portfolio of Home Ministry for the party in the new Cabinet. Terming it as the demand of Shinde, the party said that there was nothing wrong with this demand.