Devendra Fadnavis Named Maharashtra Chief Minister, Resolving 12-Day Deadlock

After nearly two weeks of intense deliberations, the political deadlock over the Chief Minister's post in Maharashtra came to an end on Wednesday. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unanimously elected former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis as the leader of its legislative party, paving the way for his return to the state’s top post.

The impasse stemmed from prolonged negotiations among the Mahayuti alliance partners—BJP, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction), and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP, Ajit Pawar faction)—on power-sharing arrangements. Despite their landslide victory in the November 23 assembly elections, disagreements over the Chief Ministerial candidate delayed government formation. The issue was finally resolved, with all alliance partners rallying behind Fadnavis as the consensus candidate.

The Maharashtra government issued the official invitation for the swearing-in ceremony, with Fadnavis prominently named as the Chief Minister. The event is expected to mark a significant moment in the state's political landscape, showcasing the unity of the Mahayuti alliance after days of speculation. Fadnavis's leadership, coupled with the coalition's overwhelming mandate, is set to shape the course of Maharashtra's governance in the coming years.