Speculations were circulating on social media that Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Cooperation Murlidhar Mohol would be appointed Maharashtra's next Chief Minister by the top leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) instead of Devendra Fadnavis. However, posting on X (formerly Twitter), the Pune MP dismissed these speculations as baseless and fabricated.
Mohol wrote, "The speculation about my name for the Chief Minister of Maharashtra post on social media is baseless and fabricated. The BJP fought the Maharashtra Assembly elections under the leadership of our leader Devendra Fadnavis. The people of Maharashtra have also given a historic mandate."
"In the BJP, decisions are taken unanimously by the parliamentary board, not through social media speculations! Once the parliamentary board makes a decision, the party's decision is supreme for us. That is why the speculation about my name on social media is meaningless," he added.
Of the 288 Assembly constituencies in the state, the Mahayuti alliance secured a massive mandate of 230 seats. The BJP won 132 seats, while its allies — the Shiv Sena, led by Eknath Shinde, won 57 seats, and the NCP, led by Ajit Pawar, won 41 seats.
In contrast, the constituents of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) suffered a significant setback, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning 20 seats, Congress 16, and the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) winning only 10 seats.
Despite securing a historic mandate, the Mahayuti alliance remains undecided about its chief minister seven days after the vote counting. Speculations persist that Eknath Shinde is dissatisfied as the BJP appears reluctant to appoint him. Alternative names like Vinod Tawde and Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil are also being considered.
