BJP strongman Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday staked a claim to form the new government in Maharashtra.

Flanked by Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde and NCP leader Ajit Pawar, Fadnavis reached the Raj Bahvan and met the state's Governor CP Radhakrishnan.

Fadnavis will take oath on Thursday.

Fadnavis was unanimously elected as the BJP legislature party leader at a meeting held in Mumbai earlier in the day.

All BJP leaders have endorsed his name for the post of CM in the presence of Central observers Nirmala Sitharaman and Vijay Rupani, reported UNI.

The BJP-led Mahayuti returned to power for another term after winning 235 seats in the polls.

The BJP emerged as the single-largest party with 132 seats.

Despite the expectation of a stronger show after the Lok Sabha,  the Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party won 57 and 41 seats respectively in the state.