'D Fadnavis for Chief Minister': Posters in Nagpur ahead of swearing-in event

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The demand for naming Devendra Fadnavis as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra is growing. This time, posters have come up in Nagpur reinforcing the demand and the people who put it up includes an MLA from the Eknath Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena. 


Nagpur South West is the constituency of Mr Fadnavis and the posters were put up by Sena MLA Ashish Jaiswal and the BJP MLA from Malkapur-Nandaura, Chainsukh Sancheti.


This evening, reports said the name of Mr Fadnavis has been finalised as the new Chief Minister of Maharashtra. 


Quoting an unnamed senior leader of the BJP, news  Prsss Trust of India reported that the name of Devendra Fadnavis has been finalised as the new chief minister of Maharashtra. The meeting to elect him as the new BJP legislature party leader will be held on December 2 or 3.  


Earlier today, outgoing Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, seen as a contender for the top post, reiterated that he would support the BJP's choice of Chief Minister -- a declaration he had made on Wednesday. But till date, there has been no announcement.


"This government is the people's government. I have clarified my role. The honourable Prime Minister and the honourable Home Minister will take the final decision on (Chief Minister). They (BJP MLAs) are meeting tomorrow. It will be decided. Don't worry," he told the media today.


On Thursday, ahead of a key meeting with senior BJP leader Amit Shah, sources had said that the Chief Minister would be from the BJP, and he would have two deputies.


The delay in announcement has drawn jibes from the Opposition. Shiv Sena UBT leader Aaditya Thackeray said it was an :"insult" to Maharashtra. 


"It seems that rules only apply to the opposition parties, while rules don't for some special ones. To declare the swearing in date, unilaterally, without even staking claim to form government and show numbers to the Hon'ble Governor, is pure anarchy," he said in a post on X.


The ruling alliance Mahayuti had won a whopping 230 of the state's 288 assembly seats in the recently concluded state election. The BJP led with 132 seats, giving it claim to the top job, while Mr Shinde's Shiv Sena got 57 and Ajit Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party 41.