MUMBAI: The suspense over who will be Maharashtra's new chief minister will end on December 4, when the BJP legislature party elects its new leader, a senior party functionary said on Monday.
Earlier in the day, the BJP named Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani as its central observers for the legislature party meeting.
Devendra Fadnavis, two-time former chief minister, is widely seen as the frontrunner for the top post.
The meeting will be held Wednesday morning in Vidhan Bhawan, a party functionary said.
There were reports that caretaker CM Eknath Shinde had conveyed his displeasure at not being given a second chance as CM by retreating to his village Dare in Satara district, but he attributed the visit to a need for rest after a hectic election campaign.
The BJP has already announced that the new chief minister will take oath at 5 pm on December 5 at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders.
Preparations for the ceremony are underway.
