Mumbai, Dec 4 (IANS): The wait was over after 132 party legislators and five Independents supporting BJP on Wednesday unanimously elected Devendra Fadnavis as the legislature party leader. With this, he is set to take oath for the third time as the Maharashtra Chief Minister at a grand ceremony on Thursday.

Fadnavis’ name was proposed by former Ministers Chandrakant Patil and Sudhir Mungantiwar and it was seconded by a host of legislators, including the Mumbai unit chief Ashish Shelar.

The announcement of Fadnavis’ election was made by the party observer and former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, who was accompanied by the co-observer and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

Immediately after his announcements, legislators raised slogans like "Maharashtracha Mukhyamantri Kaisa Ho, Devendra Fadnavis Jaisa Ho".

Strategy unit chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule in his welcome address thanked the 14 crore people of Maharashtra for their overwhelming support given to BJP and Mahayuti in the just concluded state Assembly elections. "Today is a historical day as the legislature party group leader will be elected. The Mahayuti government will increase the pace of Maharashtra’s development," he said.

Thereafter, Rupani declared the election process and called upon the legislators to propose and second the names of the legislature party group leader. Chandrakant Patil and Sudhir Mungantiwar proposed Devendra Fadnavis’ name amid slogan shouting from the legislators. Fadnavis’ name was seconded by legislators, including Pankaja Munde, Praveen Darekar, Ravindra Chavan and Meghana Bordikar.

After that Rupani asked the legislators whether anyone wanted to recommend another name. Legislators said no and thereafter Rupani announced that Fadnavis has been unanimously elected as the legislature party group leader. Fadnavis was felicitated by the core committee leaders and senior leaders, including party Secretary Shiv Prakash and General Secretary Vinod Tawde.

Earlier, the state core committee met and unanimously zeroed in on Fadnavis’ name as the legislature party group leader.

In her speech, FM Sitharaman said the unprecedented and unexpected mandate in the state legislature is to take forward the Viksit Bharat mission. She thanked the legislators for the unanimous election of Fadnavis saying ‘Ek Hai to Safe Hai'.

She said that a double-engine government at the Centre and in the state will help boost Maharashtra's development. Sitharaman slammed the Congress and opposition governments that stalled the state’s development and put speed breakers. However, she said with the unprecedented mandate the uncertainty is now over assuring all the possible help from the Centre for expediting the state's development.

Fadnavis in his speech thanked the legislators for his unanimous election as the legislature party group leader. "The election mandate has proved that 'Ek Hai to Safe Hai and Modi Hai to Mumkin Hai'.I salute the people of Maharashtra for giving such a mega mandate. I also thank the caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Dy CM Ajit Pawar and leaders from allies," he added.