Buoyed by the impressive show in the recently concluded assembly elections, the BJP on Tuesday elected Devendra Fadnavis as the leader of Maharashtra BJP Legislature Party, paving the way for him to become chief minister of the state.  

‹Fadnavis was chosen unopposed leader of the BJP Legislature Party at a meeting of the newly-elected Members of the Legislative Assembly.

Devendra Fadnavis, who was Prime Minister Narendra Modi's blue eyed boy, will be BJP's first-ever chief minister in the state.

Fadnavis was the Maharastra state unit president and was always the frontrunner for the post.

They took the decision at a meeting of all the 121 legislators at 4pm on Tuesday.

On Monday, top-level decision-makers of BJP had held discussions on the size of the cabinet and possible names for key portfolios ahead of Friday's swearing in of the new government in the state.

Contemplating a small cabinet, with less than a dozen cabinet ministers will be inducted in the first round of portfolio distribution and a number of departments would merge a la center. A source said that the Krishna Valley Development Corporation may be merged with the water resources department, and the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) with the public works department (PWD).