Senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis met outgoing Shiv Sena boss Eknath Shinde in Mumbai Tuesday evening, amid continuing suspense, and an absorbing tug-of-war, over the identity of the next Maharashtra Chief Minister.

Ahead of the crucial legislature party meeting scheduled for Wednesday, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Devendra Fadnavis met with caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday, the first in-person meeting since their discussions in Delhi last week for government formation.

Some political observers view it as an outreach effort by the BJP to placate an ally which is weighing its options, while others believe it served as a preliminary discussion regarding the swearing-in ceremony set for December 5.

Senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday evening arrived at Varsha for a meeting with caretaker chief minister Eknath Shinde in Mumbai, amidst uncertainty in the Mahayuti alliance over the next CM. The meeting between the Mahayuti leaders went on for an hour.

Fadnavis, the frontrunner for the coveted CM post, reached Eknath Shinde's official house to discuss the power-sharing formula.

As the dust settles on Maharashtra's Assembly elections, the suspense thickens around the next Chief Minister. With the BJP's dominance and ongoing negotiations, will Eknath Shinde reclaim his position or will Devendra Fadnavis take the reins?

BJP has called for its Legislature Party meeting on November 4, which is expected to end the suspense over the new CM.

The suspense over who will be Maharashtra’s new CM will end on December 4, when the state BJP legislature party elects its new leader, a BJP leader said.

Senior BJP leader and former Maharashtra minister Sudhir Mungantiwar stated here on Monday that Devendra Fadnavis would be the Maharashtra chief minister.