<p>In the Maharashtra Assembly Election 2024 results, the “Mahayuti” alliance achieved a historic victory, surpassing expectations. The BJP, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction), and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) secured 132, 57, and 41 seats respectively, collectively winning 230 seats. This unprecedented triumph has sparked a major question: Who will be Maharashtra’s Chief Minister? While both Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis stated that the three alliance partners would decide this together, media speculation is rife. BJP’s solo performance of winning 132 seats, and pre-election statements suggesting that a BJP CM would be likely if the party crossed 100 seats, have intensified this debate. Adding fuel to the speculation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his address at the BJP headquarters, congratulated alliance leaders but referred to Devendra Fadnavis as a “close friend” and Ajit Pawar as “brother,” while merely mentioning Eknath Shinde by name. This has further strengthened the belief that Maharashtra’s next Chief Minister may come from the BJP.</p>