Will follow Modi model: Fadnavis

Invoking Chatrapati Shivaji, he said, “The great warrior king will remain our inspiration for administration in the state.”
In the evening, Fadnavis, accompanied by party leaders, met Governor C Vidhyasagar Rao. After the meeting, he said, “We have staked claim for formation of government in Maharashtra. The BJP, which emerged as the single largest party, has been given the go-ahead by the Governor to form government.”

The swearing-in ceremony will take place on October 31 at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai and the vote of confidence has to be conducted before November 15. In the first phase, the BJP was likely to form a small team of 15 ministers, sources said.

Earlier in the day, at the BJP state legislature party meeting attended by 121 party MLAs at Vidhan Bhawan, Fadnavis was unanimously elected as the leader of the party. Fadnavis’s name was proposed by senior leader Eknath Khadse and seconded by Vinod Tawde, Sudhir Mumgantiwar and Pankaja Munde Palwe. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and BJP general secretary J P Nadda were present at the meeting.

Minutes after being elected, Fadnavis walked to the opposition leader’s office from where he had often conducted his legislature work during the previous assembly sessions. “I will have to get out of the opposition party mindset and get into the mode of ruling party,” he said, in lighter vein.

The day also saw high drama as Khadse was sulking for being denied the CM’s post. He confined himself to his residence. Finally, Prakash Javadekar and Nadda persuaded him to attend the meeting.