Fadnavis frontrunner for CM

Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the swearing-in of the new Mahayuti government in Maharashtra on December 5 evening as BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis emerged as the frontrunner for the post of chief minister. The oath-taking ceremony will take place at 5 pm at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai, state BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule said.

While there was no announcement yet on who would be the chief minister, BJP sources said Devendra Fadnavis, who has been chief minister twice and was deputy CM in the last Eknath Shinde-led government, was the frontrunner for the post.

Shinde, who is holding the charge as caretaker chief minister and who headed to his native village Dare in Satara district a day before amid speculation that he was not happy with the way the new government was shaping up, has taken ill, an aide said. He was running temperature of 105 degree F, the aide said.

Speaking to reporters in Pune earlier in the day, NCP chief Ajit Pawar said the chief minister will be from the BJP, while there will be deputy CMs from the two allies -- his party and the Shiv Sena. Pawar was a deputy CM in the last government. Talking about Shinde's illness, Shiv Sena leader Shambhuraj Desai, who hails from Satara district, told reporters that Shinde and other party leaders returned from Delhi early Friday morning after meeting the top BJP leaders, and Shinde has had cough and cold since then. "Exertion affected him, so we advised him to take rest," said Desai.

Sanjay Shirsat, a Shiv Sena leader close to Shinde, said his party must get the home portfolio. Shirsat also claimed that attempts were made to sideline Shinde. Meanwhile, a BJP leader said a meeting will be held on Dec 2 to elect the BJP legislature party leader. Fadnavis was likely to get the CM post this time, he added.