After staking claim to form government in Maharashtra, BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, addressing a press conference, announced Eknath Shinde as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra.

Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis and rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde will take oath today evening. The duo met Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari at Raj Bhawan and Fadnavis staked claim for government formation in Maharashtra while Shinde faction pledged support to the BJP. Earlier, at a press briefing today, rebel Sena camp’s spokesperson Deepak Kesarkar said, “We contested the 2019 elections with the BJP, which is what the people of Maharashtra voted for. We are going to deliver on the promises made then.”

Eknath Shinde arrived in Mumbai from Goa on Thursday. He was provided with a Z category security cover by the Centre. On his way to the airport, Shinde told reporters that he will be meeting the Maharashtra Governor. Meanwhile, the rebel MLAs have stayed put in Goa, where they arrived on Wednesday following Uddhav Thackeray’s resignation.

After staking claim to form government in Maharashtra, BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, addressing a press conference, said that the Shiv Sena, by joining hands with Congress and NCP in 2019 to keep BJP out of power, had insulted the public mandate. He further claimed of rampant corruption during the reign of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government rule while quoting two NCP leaders accused of corruption.

DISCLAIMER: The author is solely responsible for the views expressed in this article. The author carries the responsibility for citing and/or licensing of images utilized within the text.