Maharashtra CM News Highlights: Will Devendra Fadnavis make it? Eknath Shinde keeps suspense alive

During an event in connection with Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde says, “I am with you all, I thank all Majhi Ladki Bahin for electing me. You all chose Mahayuti, as we promised we will be giving Rs 2,100 to all my sisters. This government is yours and you choose this government again. I feel blessed you all came here and gave me blessings. This is a common people’s government and we are working for the growth of Maharashtra…,” said Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde during an event.

Reacting to Maharashtra poll results, NCP leader Supriya Sule said, “We respect and humbly accept the verdict of the people in the assembly elections. This result is a moment for deep reflection and renewal. We will introspect, learn, and rebuild with honesty, hard work, and an unshakable commitment to the values we stand for.

To those who have earned the people’s trust, we extend our congratulations. We hope you will serve Maharashtra with dedication and prioritize the welfare of every citizen.

A heartfelt thank you to all voters, the diligent workers and leaders of NCP SP, our Maha Vikas Aghadi allies, the Election Commission, police, administration, media, and everyone who contributed to making this election a vibrant celebration of democracy.

We remain steadfast. Our fight continues—with humility, with courage, and with the hope of building a Maharashtra that fulfills the dreams of its people.

NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar attributed Mahayuti’s win in the Maharashtra assembly polls to factors such as the Ladki Bahin scheme, high women voter turnout, and religious polarisation. Acknowledging the unexpected outcome, Pawar vowed to rejuvenate his party. When asked about retiring from active politics, he stated that the decision would be made with his party colleagues.

Following the Mahayuti alliance's decisive victory in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, BJP MP Kangana Ranaut likened the defeated Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) to "daitya" (satan), claiming their disrespect for women led to their downfall. Speaking in Delhi, Ranaut singled out Uddhav Thackeray, saying she had anticipated his political failure due to his actions against her in 2020, including the demolition of parts of her Bandra bungalow by the then Shiv Sena-led BMC.

Ranaut asserted that "those who do not respect women can never win," referencing her personal grievances with the previous MVA government.

Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis told the Times of India that there is no competition for the chief minister's post within Mahayuti following their landslide victory. He credited the win to the people’s faith in PM Narendra Modi’s leadership and their backlash against divisive forces. The decision on the new CM will be made by senior leaders from Shiv Sena, NCP, and BJP.

Congress leader Deepinder Hooda said that the Maharashtra election results declared on Saturday were "astonishing" and raised questions over its fairness. "The results of Maharashtra Assembly elections are astonishing...MVA will reflect upon the reasons for the defeat but questions are raised about the fairness of the election process...I extend best wishes to the new government of Maharashtra and in Jharkhand, the government of INDIA alliance is formed and I extend best wishes to Hemant Soren," he said.

NCP's chief whip Anil Patil has claimed that several MLAs of the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi are 'uneasy' and in touch with the Ajit Pawar-led party. "You will see the results in four months," he said.

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has conveyed to the BJP that the next Maharashtra chief minister should be from the party.

The legislature party of the Nationalist Congress Party met today and elected Ajit Pawar as its leader. A similar meeting of the Shiv Sena is scheduled to be held today and a decision is expected to be announced later this evening. The BJP has also convened a meeting of its newly elected MLAs on Monday.

Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule said that party workers and supporters want Devendra Fadnavis to become the next chief minister of the state. He also admitted that all three parties of the ruling alliance have similar aspirations.

BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, the man who steered the BJP's ship after the Lok Sabha debacle, may have emerged as the frontrunner for the post of Chief Minister but his return to glory is ridden with some pertinent roadblocks. Fadnavis, a Brahmin by caste, has been appointed CM twice and has served as Deputy CM under Eknath Shinde of the Shiv Sena despite BJP being the senior partner in the alliance. He was only the second leader from the Brahmin community to be appointed to the post after Shiv Sena's Manohar Joshi.

Shinde, on the other hand, belongs to the dominant Maratha community which comprises 30 percent of the state's population and commands considerable sway -- both political and financial. The community has seen as many as 15 chief ministers in the state and remains a crucial factor in deciding political outcomes. Given the BJP's massive tally and the campaign against him by quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil, who even labelled him a "Maratha hater", there is doubt in certain quarters about the possibility of Fadnavis making it to the CM's chair.

The election verdict shows that all sections of society, including Marathas, voted overwhelmingly for the party and the key factor to watch out now whether the BJP sees appointing Fadnavis as a risk -- one that it is willing to take for a disciplined soldier of the party.

Amid prevailing suspense over the NDA's choice for the post of Maharashtra Chief Minister, News18 reports citing sources that the oath ceremony, likely to be held on November 26 in Mumbai, will only see the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Ministers being sworn in.

This decision, it appears,  has been taken to ensure that a government is installed before the conclusion of the current tenure of the Assembly on November 26, while the discussions on distribution of portfolios continue once the leadership questions are settled.

The final decision of who will be the new Chief Minister of Maharashtra will be taken after a meeting of the legislature parties of the three NDA constituents - the BJP, Shiv Sena and the NCP. All three parties have convened separate meetings of their newly elected MLAs in Mumbai. A decision on the CM's name is likely to be arrived at in a meeting of the leaders of the three NDA parties on Monday.

Following the declaration of Maharashtra Assembly election results, Eknath Shinde of the Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar of the NCP have called separate meetings of their respective legislature parties. The newly elected MLAs are expected to meet and elect their new leader as well as spell out their stand on the claim to chief ministership.

The BJP emerged on top in Maharashtra, winning 132 seats, followed by the Shiv Sena at 57 and the NCP at 41 seats. The Maha Vikas Aghadi, on the other hand, was restricted to 48 seats in the 288-member Assembly.

More voices seeking the appointment of a BJP leader as the Maharashtra CM are emerging after the results established the party as the undisputed leader in the state. Amid growing clamour for Devendra Fadnavis' return as CM, party leader Ashishrao Deshmukh said party workers wish to see the Deputy CM return as the Chief Minister.

"The people of Maharashtra are standing with BJP...We have got unprecedented results in the state. The parliamentary board will decide the CM's face. If we talk about the workers of BJP, they are in favour of making Devendra Fadnavis the Chief Minister...We expect the CM face to be from BJP," he said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday said that the poll verdict in Maharashtra has left its people "sad and confused" as they try to come to terms with the Mahayuti's historic win in the state. "We are not disappointed, we are people who fight. We are Shiv Sainiks of Balasaheb Thackeray. Balasaheb Thackeray has also seen defeat and victories in his life. The people of Maharashtra are sad, they are not happy, where is the celebration? Something must have happened at the BJP office or Eknath Shinde's residence, but the results that have come, people are still surprised how it happened," Raut said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party has taken objection to the Congress and other Opposition parties alleging a "conspiracy" behind the ruling Mahayuti's unprecedented victory in the Maharashtra elections and said that they failed to apply the same logic when they won during the Lok Sabha elections. "Nana Patole, Ramesh Chennithala, Sanjay Raut and Uddhav Thackeray are blaming EVMs. At the time of the Lok Sabha elections, the same EVMs were used. They didn't blame EVMs at that time. We accepted our defeat in Jharkhand. When we won in Maharashtra, they are blaming (EVMs)," said Maharashtra BJP leader Kirit Somaiya.

Samajwadi Party leader ST Hasan has raised concerns over the integrity of the electoral system, stating that his party does not trust it. He alleged that election rigging may have occurred, particularly pointing to the unexpected results in Maharashtra, where the Mahayuti alliance secured over 200 seats. Hasan expressed surprise at the outcome, contrasting it with the situation in Jharkhand, where the opposition INDIA alliance emerged victorious without such issues. He called for a change in the system, citing the involvement of multiple components such as EVMs, administration, and police, to safeguard democracy.

Shiv Sena leader Shaina NC expressed her gratitude to the voters of Mumba Devi for giving her a record 40,150 votes, the highest ever received by a Shiv Sena candidate. She urged those who did not vote to support progress and development in future elections, highlighting the injustice faced by the area over the past 15 years. Shaina described the victory of the Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra as a "tsunami of political performance.’

BJP leader Kirit Somaiya has hit out at prominent opposition figures for blaming the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) following recent election results. Somaiya pointed out that leaders such as Nana Patole, Ramesh Chennithala, Sanjay Raut, and Uddhav Thackeray had raised concerns about EVMs after their defeat in Maharashtra.

"Nana Patole, Ramesh Chennithala, Sanjay Raut and Uddhav Thackeray are blaming EVMs. At the time of the Lok Sabha elections, the same EVMs were used. They didn't blame EVMs at that time. We accepted our defeat in Jharkhand. When we won in Maharashtra, they are blaming...," he said.

BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain praised PM Modi for winning the hearts of the people with his address, where he emphasized unity with his call for 'ek hain to safe hain.' He criticised the Congress for opposing this message and accused them of dividing people along caste, religion, and language lines, a tactic rejected by the public. Hussain also remarked that Congress’s leadership is controlled from outside India.

After its massive victory in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, the BJP is set to hold a meeting of its legislative party where its newly-elected MLAs will choose their new leader who could become the new Chief Minister of the state. BJP leaders have expressed their willingness for a leader of their party to be appointed as the CM given its performance in the state elections.

The term of the current Assembly expires on November 26 and a new government has to be in place by then. The oath ceremony, BJP sources told media, will be held at the Shivaji Park in Mumbai at 3 PM on Monday.

Outgoing Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena may be behind the BJP in terms of its tally and strike rate but the party is unwilling to cede its claim to the post of CM for its leader yet. Amid the growing clamour within the BJP around the return of Devendra Fadnavis as CM, the Shiv Sena has dug in its heels over the claim and has cited Shinde's role as the brainchild behind the Ladki Bahin scheme that is believed to have acted as the gamechanger for the Mahayuti in the polls.

The Shiv Sena has also cited several developmental works carried out under CM Shinde that has had a positive impact on winning over voters after the Lok Sabha elections. Shinde is also known as an acceptable face -- someone who rose from the ground to become the Chief Minister. The election results have also removed any misgivings around the split he caused in the Shiv Sena and have firmly established his faction as the "real" Shiv Sena.

NCP leaders' meeting will take place at Devgiri after noon, while Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena leaders are scheduled to meet post 5 pm on Sunday, according to News18 citing sources. Details of the BJP leaders' meeting are still awaited.

The BJP's stellar performance in the recently concluded Maharashtra Assembly elections has led to the emergence of Devendra Fadnavis as the natural frontrunner as the NDA's pick for Chief Minister, a post he has served previously as well. The BJP also emerged as the single largest party, winning 132 of the 288 Assembly seats. Beyond the numbers, Fadnavis has been a crucial force behind the BJP's resurgence in the state after its dismal performance in the Lok Sabha elections.

Besides, he went against his wish and honoured the party's discipline when he was asked to serve as Deputy CM under Eknath Shinde. This was despite the fact that he is believed to have engineered the defection of both Shinde and NCP's Ajit Pawar from their respective parties that saw the formation of an NDA government in the state. It also goes to his credit that the party has emerged the strongest in the state in three consecutive elections.

The election results in the state have established Devendra Fadnavis' emergence as the new power centre in Maharashtra. He is also seen as the natural frontrunner for the post, given his two previous stints as the Chief Minister. While the candidature of outgoing Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has not been completely ruled out yet, Fadnavis may find backing from an unlikely quarter.

Ajit Pawar, the newest entrant to the NDA family following the NCP split, could back Fadnavis over Shinde as CM. While Pawar served with Fadnavis as Deputy CM under Shinde as CM, the caste factor could play a role in his support to one over the other. Both Shinde and Pawar belong to the Maratha community and the latter may be more comfortable in serving under Fadnavis over Shinde. Hailing from different schools of ideologies, the Sena and NCP haven't enjoyed the best of relations in the past either.

Amid the growing clamour within the BJP for Devendra Fadnavis' return as the Maharashtra CM after the party's best-ever performance in the state, the chances of Shiv Sena supremo Eknath Shinde's continuation on the post cannot be completely ruled out either. The Mahayuti entered the elections with Shinde as its leader and no decision on the CM face had been announced ahead of the elections. While the BJP has gained an upper hand by virtue of brute numbers, coalition dharma could deter Fadnavis' return as CM.

The Shinde camp, meanwhile, has been quick to realise this and has claimed the CM's chair for its leader soon after the results became clear.

The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) led by Raj Thackeray and Prakash Ambedkar's Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) failed to make any significant impact in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, as the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance cruised to a resounding victory in the 288-member assembly.

Other smaller parties, including the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), fared slightly better. The SP managed to secure two seats, while AIMIM won one seat, according to the results announced on Saturday.

Despite fielding the highest number of candidates in the state, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) failed to make any headway. The BSP contested 237 seats, while the Azad Samaj Party fielded 28 candidates, but neither party managed to secure a win.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has dismissed speculation about a race for the Chief Minister’s post within the Mahayuti alliance. Speaking to the media on Saturday, Fadnavis said, “There is no race for the CM's post. The decision will be made by senior leaders of Shiv Sena, NCP, and the BJP high command.”

Reflecting on Mahayuti’s sweeping win in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, Fadnavis described it as an “unprecedented victory” and a “tsunami of a different kind” that left the opposition nearly wiped out.

Fadnavis credited the victory to the people’s faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, stating, “During the Lok Sabha elections, our performance fell short. However, in the aftermath, people recognized that the BJP was being targeted by divisive and anti-national forces. This election was their response, and they voted decisively for Mahayuti. We are deeply grateful to the people of Maharashtra for their confidence in Modi’s vision and leadership.”

The fight for Maharashtra’s Chief Minister post remains tightly contested between BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis and Shiv Sena’s Eknath Shinde.

On Saturday, BJP leader Pravin Darekar called for Fadnavis to be appointed as the next Chief Minister, citing the party's significant role in the victory. However, Eknath Shinde echoed Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s earlier statement, emphasizing that the decision would be made collectively in a party meeting. Shinde also clarified that there is no fixed formula in the coalition, suggesting that the party securing the most seats would not automatically claim the CM position.

If the BJP insists on staking its claim, Fadnavis is seen as the likely front-runner. However, the BJP would be wise not to overlook Shinde’s influence in the power-sharing equation in Maharashtra, given his pivotal role in the alliance’s success.

As the BJP basks in its stellar performance in Maharashtra, much of the credit is being directed toward Devendra Fadnavis. However, outgoing Chief Minister Eknath Shinde remains a prominent face in the state’s political landscape.

While Shinde’s Sena faction had previously stated it would not object if the BJP selected the next Chief Minister, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had clarified on November 10 that the decision would be made post-elections in a meeting of Mahayuti partners.

With the Maharashtra verdict firmly establishing the BJP’s dominance within the alliance, speculation is rife about a potential power shift, possibly paving the way for Fadnavis to reclaim the Chief Minister’s chair.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh, reflecting on Mahayuti's sweeping win in the Maharashtra elections, expressed gratitude to the voters and attributed the alliance's success to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "I want to thank the people of Maharashtra and give full credit to PM Modi for his revolutionary welfare schemes. He earned the trust of the people, which is why they voted for us," Singh remarked.

The battle for the top post appears to be a straight contest between Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis. However, the dynamics are complex:

Shinde's Leverage: The BJP is expected to fall short of the 145-seat majority mark without Shinde’s support, giving him potential bargaining power.

The Ajit Pawar Factor: The BJP may also rely on Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction, which holds 40 seats. Pawar, currently Deputy Chief Minister, could retain this role in exchange for supporting a BJP Chief Minister.

A Surprise Candidate? The BJP might break tradition and choose a lesser-known leader, as it did in Madhya Pradesh last year when Mohan Yadav replaced Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

As the focus shifts to government formation, speculation surrounds the choice of the next Chief Minister. BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis, a two-time Chief Minister, hinted that a consensus had already been reached, stating, “The decision will be acceptable to everyone.” Fadnavis noted that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had instructed alliance leaders to decide the Chief Minister after consultations with all coalition partners.

The Mahayuti alliance plans to form the government within three days, with winning MLAs asked to convene in Mumbai immediately. Outgoing Chief Minister Eknath Shinde chaired a preliminary meeting of Shiv Sena MLAs, granting him authority to make all decisions regarding government formation. Senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh is expected to arrive in Mumbai on Sunday, November 24, as the party's central observer.

Opposition leaders, including Uddhav Thackeray of Shiv Sena (UBT), described the BJP-led coalition's victory as "unexpected and unimaginable." Thackeray questioned the public mandate, citing unresolved issues such as the struggles of soybean farmers, industries relocating to Gujarat, women’s safety, rising inflation, and unfulfilled crop loan waivers.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the victory as a testament to ‘unity’ and the spirit of the slogan ‘Ek Hain Toh Safe Hain’ (United We Remain Safe).

Mahayuti leaders attributed their success to the Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, strategic outreach to smaller communities, effective internal coordination, and a higher percentage of women voters. The RSS's influence was also cited as a key factor.

The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance has secured a landslide victory in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, clinching 233 of the 288 seats, as per the final tally by the Election Commission. This marks the most decisive electoral sweep in the state since the 1980s, with the BJP emerging as the single-largest party, winning 132 seats on its own. The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) managed only 50 seats, signaling a significant political shift in Maharashtra.

BJP leader Chandrakant Patil said, “Who the CM would be would be decided by our central parliamentary board. However, if we are asked, then we would unanimously say that it should be Devendra Fadnavis as the Chief Minister.”

The land of Babasaheb Ambedkar, Savitribai Phule, Veer Savarkar and Bal Thackeray has won this landslide victory, says PM Modi

PM Narendra Modi says: "Development, good governance and social justice have won in Maharashtra. Lies and deceit have suffered a crushing defeat."

PM Modi arrive at the BJP headquarters in Delhi after Mahayuti's major victory in Maharashtra, as hundreds of supporters cheer for him.

PM Modi will reach BJP headquarters in New Delhi shortly. He will be addressing party workers.

• Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde called the assembly election results historic, asserting they clarified the true representation of the Shiv Sena and NCP.
• The ruling BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP alliance, Mahayuti, celebrated a decisive victory, assuring a smooth government formation.
• Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said this
• Credited the win to the public rejecting appeasement politics.
• Highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s unity message, “Ek Hai Toh Safe Hai,” as a key factor in the victory.Deputy CM Ajit Pawar (NCP leader): Emphasized that the coalition will maintain financial discipline and avoid overconfidence despite the landslide win.
• Mentioned that lessons from the Lok Sabha election loss helped shape the winning strategy.
• Both Shinde and Pawar pointed to the poor performance of rival factions as evidence of their rightful claim over the Shiv Sena and NCP.
• MLAs from all three parties will meet in Mumbai post-results to elect their leaders, Fadnavis confirmed.
• Shinde highlighted the amicable seat-sharing arrangement among coalition partners, ensuring a hassle-free government formation process.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde retains Kopri-Pachpakhadi assembly seat in Thane district by a margin of 1,20,717 votes: ECI.

• The BJP is poised to lead the Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra to a historic triumph in the assembly elections, reshaping the political landscape following the Lok Sabha polls.
• Current trends indicate the Mahayuti securing 232 out of 288 seats in the assembly, with the BJP dominating by leading or winning in 134 constituencies.
• Having contested 148 seats statewide, the BJP is on track to achieve an impressive strike rate of over 90%, should these trends hold. (Read More)

• "Heartfelt gratitude and sincere thanks to all voters, supporters, workers, and leaders for ensuring the victory of both Samajwadi Party candidates as joint nominees of the INDIA alliance in the Maharashtra Assembly elections.
• Congratulations to Shri Abu Asim Azmi for his victory from the Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar Assembly seat and Shri Rais Kasam Shaikh for his triumph from the Bhiwandi East Assembly seat. This is a victory of PDA’s unity," tweets Akhilesh Yadav

•  The 'None of the Above' (NOTA) option once again saw limited use, with 0.75% of voters selecting it in Maharashtra and 1.32% in Jharkhand during the recent assembly elections.
• According to Election Commission (EC) data, in Maharashtra, where elections were conducted for 288 seats, less than 1% (0.75%) of the electorate opted for NOTA.

• Maharashtra remembers what happened five years ago, says Eknath Shinde in shar swipe against MVA
• He also says that the battle for 'real' party has been settled. Shinde said that his party will carry forward the legacy of Balasaheb Thackeray.
• Government can't work via Facebook, Shinde's direct attack on Uddhav Thackeray

The Assembly elections in Maharashtra, that came after a tumultuous five years that saw some tectonic shifts in its political landscape, have delivered a rude shock to the Maha Vikas Aghadi, especially to senior regional leaders like Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar. The Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party, which managed to ride on a sympathy wave in the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year, saw a complete reversal of fortunes as the results for the Assembly elections unfolded. (Read More)

• A joint presser is underway by the Mahayuti leaders in Mumbai. Ajit Pawar of NCP opened the presser saying that this was a historic mandate by voters of Maharashtra.
• He also said that while Opposition mocked their schemes, the voters have responded with thumping win
• He also said that Opposition is now calling for re-election now. But where were they during the Lok Sabha polls when the Opposition won handsomely General polls. He also asked about Jharkhand and slammed Opposition for selective outrage

Ahead of the joint presser, a key meeting is underway at CM's residence in Mumbai. Apart from Eknath Shinde, Devendra Fadnavis, Ajit Pawar and Radas Athawale are present.

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray will be addressing media at Matoshree at 6:00 pm.

Maharashtra BJP Chief and Parliamentary board will also take a call on the next CM of Maharashtra, says Devendra Fadnavis.

When asked about the crucial question of who will be the next Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis says that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said in an earlier meeting that the decision on the CM name will be taken by all three members of Mahayuti alliance together. He also said that this is the win of Mahayuti's positive campaign. Calling himself 'modern Abhimanyu', Fadnavis said that he has broken all the chakravyahs. He also said that he is a 'simple party worker of BJP.'

On Mahayuti's victory in assembly elections, Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis says, "The people of Maharashtra have given us an unprecedented victory. This shows that people are with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In line with the slogan he gave 'Ek hain toh safe hain', people from all sections and communities voted for us unitedly... This is the victory of Mahayuti, CM Eknath Shinde, Deputy CM Ajit Pawar and Ramdas Athawale, this is the victory of unity..." He also took a swipe at the Opoosition and asked if the EVMs are tamper-proof in Jharkhand.

Results have proven that PM Modi's slogan has won. He also said that he respects all the MLAs who have been elected and says that he will work with everyone for the betterment of Maharashtra.

Devendra Fadnavis says that the voters of Maharashtra have rejected the 'fake narrative.' He also says that PM Modi's 'ek hain toh safe hain' slogan has been actualised by the voters. He specifically lauded the support of women voters. He also hailed the united efforts by Eknath Shinde, Ajit Pawar in the poll campaign.

• The Shiv Sena, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, is showing a strong lead in at least 38 of the 51 seats where it is contesting against the rival Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT).
• In some constituencies, the Sena (UBT) managed to establish leads, including Worli, where Aaditya Thackeray is contesting against Shiv Sena’s Milind Deora, Mahesh Sawant in Mahim, Ajay Chaudhari in Sewri, and Bhaskar Jadhav in Guhagar. However, Aaditya Thackeray's lead after seven rounds was slim, at just over 1,000 votes.
• Prominent candidates from the Shinde-led Shiv Sena leading in their constituencies include Eknath Shinde in Kopri-Pachpakhadi, Deepak Kesarkar in Sawantwadi, Uday Samant in Ratnagiri, Nilesh Rane in Kudal, and Abdul Sattar in Sillod. Notably, Abdul Sattar is the only Muslim MLA from the Shinde Sena in the outgoing Assembly.
• Of the 51 seats where the two factions are head-to-head, 19 are in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (12 within Mumbai), 8 in Marathwada, 8 in the prestigious Konkan region, 6 in Vidarbha, 5 in North Maharashtra, and 4 in Western Maharashtra. As of 11:45 am, the Shinde-led Sena had a significant overall lead, winning 56 seats compared to the Sena (UBT)'s 19.

Amruta Fadnavis, wife of Devendra Fadnavis, says that she is happy for the win of BJP. On the question of next CM of Maharashtra, Amruta Fadnavis says, 'Now party and high command will decide who will be a next cm of Maharashtra.'

With the Mahayuti poised for a landslide victory in Maharashtra, BJP spokesperson Pravin Darekar indicated that Devendra Fadnavis is likely to become the state's next chief minister. "This result has exceeded our expectations. While we were confident of winning, such an overwhelming mandate was beyond anticipation. I believe Devendra Fadnavis is the probable choice for chief minister," Darekar stated during a press interaction in Mumbai.

Devendra Fadnavis is leading the elect0ral race from Nagpur South West. BJP has emerged as the single largest party in Maharashtra.

Union Minister Piyush Goyal meets Devendra Fadnavis. Earlier, Amit Shah had dialed Fadnavis to congratulate for Maharashtra show

The top leaders have remained silent on the NDA's choice for the Chief Minister's post. Following the NDA's victory in the Maharashtra elections, CM Eknath Shinde thanked the people of the state for placing their trust in his party and the alliance while speaking to reporters.

Workers from the three Mahayuti alliance partners – BJP, NCP, and Shiv Sena – have called for leaders from their respective parties to be appointed as the chief minister.

Devendra Fadnavis shared a two-line Hindi tweet on his X handle: “Ek hain to safe hain. Modi hai to mumkin hai.” The phrase "Ek hain to safe hain" was originally coined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his campaign in the state.

Amid the growing clamour for the CM post, Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis will be addressing a joint media conference shortly. The presser comes at a time when there  remains a suspense on who will be the next CM of Maharashtra

The Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra appears set to resolve its dilemma over the chief ministerial position, with multiple media reports suggesting that a BJP leader is likely to assume the role. According to a report by Lokmat citing BJP sources, the NDA is expected to select a BJP leader as Maharashtra's Chief Minister following the ruling alliance's historic victory in the recently concluded Assembly elections.

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Maharashtra government formation. As the trends solidify into actual results, it is clear that the BJP has swept Maharashtra with thumping majority. While the party has posted its best-ever performance in Maharashtra, the alliance politics suggest that there remains some suspense before we get to know the name of the next Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Stay with us for latest updates from Maharashtra.