BJP Names Nirmala Sitharaman And Vijay Rupani As Observers To Select Maharashtra CM Amid Speculation About Eknath Shinde

10 days after the Maharashtra assembly election results, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has appointed former Gujarat Chief Minister (CM) Vijay Rupani and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman as central observers.

Notably, after a thumping victory, where the BJP won 132 seats and its allies Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) won 57 and 41 seats respectively, the alliance has not yet chosen a CM.

Last week, Shinde, the caretaker CM declared that no obstruction is being created by Shiv Sena in choosing the CM and left it to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to decide the CM.

However, no decision has been taken yet. Hence, Rupani and Sitharaman are now being set to Maharashtra to choose the legislative party leader of the BJP. Shiv Sena and NCP have already chosen Shinde and Pawar as their leaders.

Amid these discussions, several rumours erupted like Shinde's son and Lok Sabha MP from Kalyan Shrikant Shinde may be appointed as Deputy CM as Shinde reportedly considers role reversal with BJP's Devendra Fadnavis as a demotion.

Another report in Indian Express said that Shinde might even become the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) as no party of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has enough seats to choose an LoP.