Maharashtra: BJP legislative party meeting today, Devendra Fadnavis likely to be elected leader

Incumbent Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is likely to be elected as the leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislative party on Wednesday. BJP president Amit Shah has deputed Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and party vice president Avinash Rai Khanna as central observers for the meeting where the newly-elected MLAs will meet on Wednesday to elect their leader.

The meeting of 105 newly-elected MLAs comes at a time when the BJP ally Shiv Sena has refused to support the party for government formation before it agrees to a 50:50 power-sharing formula.

The BJP and Shiv Sena contested the recently-held Maharashtra assembly elections together and won 105 and 56 seats, respectively.

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has asked the BJP to respect the 50:50 formula “agreed upon” between himself, BJP president Amit Shah and Fadnavis ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

BJP's Maharashtra president and state minister Chandrakant Patil on Tuesday said that only the two party chiefs can bring clarity to the matter after talks.

Patil also reiterated that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was not aware of the reported agreement between BJP president Amit Shah and Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray over the 50:50 formula.

"Devendra ji today said that a proposal of CM for 2.5 yrs each (BJP-Shiv Sena) had come during Lok Sabha elections. He also said he doesn't know what was decided, only Amit Shah knows. Amit ji and Uddhav ji will talk to each other&bring a clarity," said Patil.

Earlier on Tuesday, Fadnavis said he was confident that he will remain the Chief Minister for the entire period of five years but the time of the swearing-in is yet to be decided.

When asked if there is a plan B, as party sources have indicated, Fadnavis said there is no need as the party will form government with Shiv Sena.

BJP's plan B involves tactical support from the NCP which contested the polls with the Congress. The Congress and NCP won 44 and 54 seats, respectively. There are also 13 independents in the assembly.

The Shiv Sena has been adamant on its demand of sharing the Chief Minister's post, giving indications to the BJP that talks on government formation will only take place when their demands are met. The party has demanded "written assurance" from the BJP that "fifty-fifty" power-sharing deal will be respected.