Maharashtra's next CM to be decided by Mahayuti, BJP leaders: Bawankule

Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Sunday said the Mahayuti leaders and BJP leadership will decide who will be the next chief minister of the state.

Bawankule also said the people of Maharashtra have rejected the Congress, noting that its state unit chief Nana Patole won by a margin of just around 200 votes.

The BJP-led Mahayuti, which also comprises the Shiv Sena of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and NCP of deputy CM Ajit Pawar, on Saturday retained power in the state by bagging 230 of the 288 assembly seats.

The Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi's dream of wresting power fizzled, with the opposition combine managing to garner just 46 seats.

Bawankule here said all sections of the society supported the BJP in the Maharashtra assembly polls.

On the issue of the next CM of the state, he said the Mahayuti leaders and the BJP leadership will decide on it.

He also said the Congress' lies were to blame for no party getting enough seats to stake claim for the post of leader of opposition in assembly.

The Mahayuti's landslide in Maharashtra will leave the state assembly without a leader of opposition as no party outside the ruling alliance has been able to get the mandatory minimum 29 seats.

Bawankule also said the Maharashtra BJP will begin a drive to enroll 1.51 crore new primary members.