Mumbai, Nov 30 (IANS) Suspense is now over as the swearing-in of the 31st Maharashtra Chief Minister will be held on December 5 at 5 p.m. at the historic Azad Maidan near Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in south Mumbai, BJP MLA from Colaba constituency and Speaker of the 14th state Assembly Rahul Narwekar said on Saturday.

The swearing-in ceremony is expected to be a major event as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, several central ministers, Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled states as well as its allies, are expected to attend it.

Although BJP has yet to elect Devendra Fadnavis as the legislature party group leader formally, the party sources hinted that Fadnavis will take oath as the chief minister for the third time.

Fadnavis had headed the BJP-led government between 2014 and 2019 and he later became chief minister with Ajit Pawar as deputy chief minister for 80 hours as the government was not formed after Ajit Pawar resigned. BJP sources have ruled out the names of Union Minister Muralidhar Mohol, Chandrakant Patil, and Vinod Tawde as the chief minister’s candidates reiterating that Fadnavis will be the party’s natural choice.

Narvekar’s disclosure is important when BJP has yet to hold its legislator’s meeting to elect the legislature party group leader. BJP sources said that the meeting may take place on Monday in the presence of central party observers. After the legislators formally elect Fadnavis as their leader, he along with Shiv Sena and NCP will stake claim to the government formation with the state Governor CP Radhakrishnan.

State Assembly elections were held on November 20 and results were announced on November 23 in which the MahaYuti got a landslide victory while the Maha Vikas Aghadi faced complete rout.

BJP emerged as the single largest party winning a record 132 seats, Shiv Sena 57 and NCP 41. Although MahaYuti contested the recently held Assembly election under the leadership of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, the BJP has already indicated that it is not ready to leave the CM’s post to Shinde but it is a natural claimant.

BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP have yet to complete talks with regard to the allocation of cabinet berths, and ministerial posts. However, the MahaYuti sources said that it will be done on Monday or Tuesday.

Meanwhile, state BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Saturday held an online meeting with newly elected MLAs in which he asked them about dos and don’ts to be followed after the formation of the government. He has asked the legislators that BJP office-bearers from all 36 districts will attend the oath-taking ceremony.

In a related development, a core committee of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh took place at Nagpur on Saturday against the backdrop of a swearing-in ceremony slated for December 5. RSS and its affiliated organisations played a major role in mobilising voters in support of the BJP in the state Assembly elections.

--IANS