The BJP on Tuesday elected 44-year-old Devendra Fadnavis as the leader of the Maharashtra Legislature Party. His elevation has cleared the path for his anointment as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra.

Fadnavis will be the first BJP Chief Minister of the State.

He later met Governor Vidyasagar Rao to stake claim to form the Government. However, the party’s former ally Shiv Sena has still not given a clear indication about joining the Government.

Whether the BJP forms a minority Government with external support from the Nationalist Congress Party or teams up with Shiv Sena and forms a coalition will be known only in a few days’ time, said sources.

The newly elected BJP MLAs met at the State Legislature on Tuesday and elected Fadnavis. The meeting was presided over by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who is the party-appointed observer overseeing the election process in the State.

BJP General Secretary Rajiv Pratap Rudy told mediapersons that Fadnavis’ name was recommended by senior leaders such as Eknath Khadse, and seconded by Sudhir Mungantiwar and Vinod Tawde. He was elected unanimously, Rudy added.

Fadnavis later said he was thankful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rajnath Singh and BJP President Amit Shah for choosing him as the leader. “I would be privileged to be Chief Minister of Maharashtra,” he declared.

After the BJP won the Assembly election with 122 seats, Fadnavis’ selection for the Chief Minister’s position was a foregone conclusion. Sources indicated that he was the favourite of the party bosses due to his family and personal association with the RSS.

Although he has not held any public office in the past, Fadnavis’ clean image worked in his favour, sources added.

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