Maharashtra CM's name to be declared on Wednesday, a day before new government's swearing-in ceremony

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The name of the Maharashtra Chief Minister (CM) will be announced on Wednesday, a day ahead of the swearing-in ceremony of the Mahayuti Government, after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) elects its legislature party leader, a senior functionary said on Monday.

Meanwhile, NCP leader Ajit Pawar on Monday flew to Delhi, while Eknath Shinde and Fadnavis remained in Mumbai, meeting workers and leaders of their parties.

The BJP on Monday named Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and former Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani as central observers for its Maharashtra legislature party's meeting, where the Members of Legislative Assembly (MLA) will elect their leader. The legislature party meeting is expected to be held on Wednesday in Mumbai, news agency PTI stated, quoting sources.

"Rupani and Sitharaman would meet BJP's elected representatives in Mumbai on Wednesday. Following this meeting, the chosen candidate's name will be relayed to senior leaders in Delhi. These observers will then announce the elected leader of BJP, who is set to be the next CM," the BJP functionary told PTI.

The party has already announced that the new CM will take oath on Thursday at Azad Maidan in Mumbai in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders.

PTI stated that while BJP has not made any formal announcement, a senior party leader on Sunday claimed that the name of outgoing deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, who has held the top executive post twice before, has been finalised.

BJP's two main allies in the Mahayuti coalition, the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), are each likely to be given the deputy CM positions in the new government.

Eknath Shinde, who is the caretaker CM, has already made it clear that he will not come in the way of BJP getting the top post. His MP son Shrikant, meanwhile, dismissed media reports that he may get the deputy CM's post in the new state government.

In the recently concluded Maharashtra Assembly Elections, the Mahayuti coalition won 230 of the total 288 seats. While BJP secured 132 seats, the Shiv Sena got 57 and NCP 41 seats. The opposition coaliton, Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), suffered a major setback. The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) won only 20 seats, the Congress 16 seats and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar just 10 seats.

(With PTI inputs)