Suspense continues on the new CM in Maharashtra, but the date of swearing in has arrived.

Amid suspense over government formation in Maharashtra, BJP sources said party MLAs will meet on Monday, December 2, to decide the legislative party leader. The newly elected leader will take oath as Chief Minister on Thursday 5 December in Mumbai. This development comes amid talk that Caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is upset with the impasse at the top post and hence he canceled the meeting of the Mahayuti alliance and traveled to his hometown.

Shiv Sena dismissed the speculation and claimed that a meeting was likely to be held on Saturday as Shinde was unwell. Shiv Sena leader Shambhuraj Desai said that I got information that BJP’s legislative party meeting will be held on Monday (December 2) and they will choose the legislative leader of their party. Shiv Sena and NCP have already elected Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar as leaders of their parties respectively. After the meeting, the three leaders will decide the formula of the state cabinet and departments.

The discussions on portfolio allocation and chief ministerial post were further delayed after Shinde returned from Delhi and visited his hometown Satara, where he met the BJP leadership, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, on Thursday. Outgoing Minister of State Uday Samant said he was not worried. He is unwell. It is not fair to say that he went there because he was upset. He said that he will not cry but will fight for the welfare and development of the state. These predictions are wrong.

In the assembly elections held in Maharashtra on November 20, the grand alliance of BJP, Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) retained power by winning 230 out of 288 seats. BJP emerged as the largest party by winning 132 seats, while Shiv Sena won 57 and NCP 41 seats. However, even after the announcement of election results on November 23, no decision has been taken on who will be the Chief Minister.