Maharashtra CM highlights: Eknath Shinde returns to Mumbai ahead of Mahayuti's big decision

The Maharashtra Chief Electoral Officer in a tweet addressed "a false claim regarding EVMs" and issued a statement on the same.

It said the statement was in reference to the video shared on social media where a person is making "false, baseless and unsubstantiated claims" to hack and tamper EVMs in the state elections by isolation of EVM frequency.

In its statement, the CEO said that EVMs are tamperproof and they cannot be connected to any network including any Wi-Fi or any Bluetooth by any person whatsoever.

A senior BJP leader on Sunday told news agency PTI that Devendra Fadnavis' name has been finalized as the new chief minister of Maharashtra.

The leader said that the meeting to elect the new BJP legislature party leader will be held on December 2 or 3.

BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar on Sunday told news agency ANI, “The meeting will take place to choose our parliamentary leader. The representatives come from the centre with the names. After chosing the names, the announcement will be made officially. The announcement will be made ahead of the oath ceremony.”

The Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) on Sunday named MLA Jitendra Awhad as its group leader in the Maharashtra legislative assembly.

NCP(SP) president Jayant Patil said that debutant MLA Rohit Patil has been appointed as the party's chief whip.

Sharad Pawar's party bagged just 10 of the 86 seats it contested in the recently concluded Maharashtra assembly polls.

Shiv Sena MLA Gulabrao Patil on Sunday said that the party could have secured 90-100 seats in the Maharashtra assembly elections if Ajit Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party had not joined the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance.

Read full story here

Sena UBT leader Aaditya Thackeray on Sunday slammed the NDA, saying that it is disrespectful to both Maharashtra and the Election Commission that they have delayed forming a government after election results.

Read full story

Maharashtra caretaker chief minister Eknath Shinde, who travelled to Satara on Friday, has landed back in Mumbai.

Earlier, he said that the decision on the Mahayuti's chief ministerial pick will be made tomorrow, December 2.

CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas has written to the Chief Election Commissioner, asking him to examine and address the concerns over the alleged discrepancies in the 2024 Maharashtra assembly elections.

As Maharashtra caretaker chief minister prepared to leave for Mumbai, the Satara Police on Sunday bestowed upon him the 'Guard of Honour'.

Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) leader Shaina NC told news agency ANI, "I don't understand what the problem with the UBT Sena is. They have had only a narrative on who shall become the CM even before they were ousted out of power. They didnt even have the numbers still Sanjay Raut would make a comment every morning and Nana Patole would say the CM is ours. Where were the numbers, the Mahayuti has the numbers and on 5th December, we will have a Chief Minister with absolute consensus."

Maharashtra caretaker CM Eknath Shinde on Saturday reiterated his support to the BJP top brass - Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and party president JP Nadda, adding that he will support whatever they decide for the state.

Maharashtra caretaker CM Eknath Shinde said, “I am doing good now. I had come here to rest after the hectic election schedule... I did not take any leave during my 2.5 years as the CM. People are still here to meet me. This is why I fell ill.”

“This government will listen to the people... I have already given my unconditional support to the party leadership and I will support their decision... Our government's work in the last 2.5 years will be written in golden letters in history... This is why people have given us a historic mandate and did not give the opposition a chance to elect a leader of opposition... All three allies of the Mahayuti have a good understanding... The CM candidate will be decided tomorrow,” he added.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday alleged that during the recently held Maharashtra assembly elections, there were issues in the entire election machinery, which he said is "dangerous for democracy".

The results of the Maharashtra elections are "impossible", Ramesh told ANI.

"The Election Commission has given us time and Congress leaders will meet them. The memorandum that we gave is related to the election process. EVM is a part of the election process. There are issues in the entire election machinery in the Maharashtra assembly elections and targeted manipulation has taken place...The results of the Maharashtra assembly elections are impossible. No one can understand them...We have raised questions on the entire election machinery which is very dangerous for democracy," the Congress leader said.

Maharashtra CM live updates: On Sunday, BJP leader Raosaheb Danve confirmed that the name of Maharashtra's new chief minister has been decided, pending official confirmation from senior party leadership. Danve, without revealing the name, stated that the people of Maharashtra are already aware of who will assume the role.

State BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule announced on Saturday that the swearing-in ceremony for the new Mahayuti government will be held on the evening of December 5 at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi set to attend. While the chief minister’s identity has not been officially disclosed, BJP sources suggest that Devendra Fadnavis, a former two-time chief minister and the previous deputy CM in the Eknath Shinde-led government, is the leading candidate for the position.

Maharashtra CM live updates: The Mahayuti allies Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) have already declared Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar as their legislature party leaders, respectively. However, the BJP, which is the largest Mahayuti constituent, is yet to name its legislature party leader.

NCP chief Ajit Pawar on Saturday 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 to PTI on Sunday, Maharashtra NCP chief Sunil Tatkare said it has been announced that the swearing-in ceremony will take place on December 5.

Maharashtra CM live updates: Maharashtra's caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who fell ill in his native village in Satara district, is recovering and is expected to return to Mumbai on Sunday evening, according to an associate.

Shinde developed a high fever on Saturday, prompting a team of doctors to examine him.

The Shiv Sena leader travelled to his village, Dare, in Satara district on Friday, amid rumours that he was dissatisfied with how the new state government was being formed.

Shinde's family doctor, R M Parte, informed news channels on Saturday that he was suffering from a fever and throat infection.

Maharashtra CM live updates: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray said that the delay in forming the government in Maharashtra was due to the ruling Mahayuti parties not expecting to return to power. Thackeray made these remarks just hours before the BJP's announcement that the new Mahayuti government would be sworn in on December 5. While sitting alongside social activist Dr. Baba Adhav, who had been on a three-day protest against the alleged misuse of Electronic Voting Machines and money power in the November 20 state elections, Thackeray questioned why there were no celebrations following the "monstrous" victory of the BJP-led Mahayuti coalition.

Maharashtra CM live updates: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP-SCP) leader Jitendra Awhad has leveled serious allegations against the Election Commission of India (ECI), accusing it of deleting critical data from the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) used in the recent Maharashtra Assembly elections.

Awhad also raised concerns about the management of election data, alleging a sudden increase of 46 lakh votes in Maharashtra within 4-5 months after the Lok Sabha elections.

Maharashtra CM News Live Updates: On Saturday, NCP-SP chief Sharad Pawar accused Maharashtra of witnessing an unprecedented misuse of power and money to manipulate the election process during the recent state polls, a situation he claimed was unlike anything seen in previous state or national elections.

The MVA has also claimed that there was manipulation of EVMs during the election.

Maharashtra CM News Live Updates: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has suggested that all MVA partners, including the NCP(Sharad Pawar) and Congress, should undertake statewide protest against EVM in Maharashtra.

Maharashtra CM News Live Updates: Eknath Shinde's family doctor told news agency ANI that he has been suffering from fever and a throat infection for the past two days.

The doctor mentioned that a team of three to four doctors is treating Eknath Shinde in his native village in Satara district, Maharashtra.

The doctor said, "He is doing fine now. He has been experiencing fever, body pain, throat infection, and cold for the past two days. We have administered antibiotics. A team of three to four doctors is attending to him."

Maharashtra CM News Live Updates: Shiv Sena UBT MLA Aaditya Thackeray congratulated the whoever will be the new C,M but claimed that the nation is witnessing "anarchy".

"The date (of the oath-taking ceremony) comes from the Governor's Office. We congratulate the person who is going to take the oath. There seems to be anarchy in seen in the country. Someone has to claim to form Govt, show majority and then all this is decided, has anything happened so far..," said MLA Aaditya Thackeray.

Maharashtra CM News Live Updates: On Saturday, the Maharashtra Congress unit issued a show cause notice to party candidate Bunty Shelke for his comments about state unit chief Nana Patole following their defeat in the assembly elections.

Shelke had accused Patole of being an "RSS agent" after losing to BJP candidate Pravin Datke in the Nagpur Central constituency.

Shelke has been asked to clarify his remarks within two days or face suspension for making "false allegations" against Patole.

Maharashtra CM News Live Updates: In a post on social media platform X, BJP Maharashtra president Chandrasekhar Bawankule confirmed that the oath taking ceremony of the Mahayuti government would take place on December 5.

He wrote, “Oath-taking ceremony of the Maha-Yuti Government in Maharashtra. It will be held in the presence of the pride of the world, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji on Thursday, December 5, 2024, at 5 PM at Azad Maidan, Mumbai.”

Maharashtra CM News Live Updates: On Thursday , Maharashtra's caretaker CM Eknath Shinde, along with Devendra Fadnavis, Ajit Pawar, and other Mahayuti leaders, met home minister Amit Shah and BJP national president JP Nadda in the national capital.

NCP chief Ajit Pawar then confirmed to the press that the next CM would be from the BJP.

Eknath Shinde was "upset" and had travelled to his native village amid the delay in forming the government. However, Shiv Sena leader Uday Samant dismissed these claims, clarifying that Shinde would return soon and that the next cabinet would be finalised shortly.