NEW DELHI: BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis took oath as the Chief Minister at Azad Maidan in Mumbai on December 5, following the BJP’s big win in Maharashtra, securing 132 seats in the 288-member Assembly.
Shiv Sena’s Eknath Shinde, who was the Chief Minister earlier, also accepted the position of Deputy Chief Minister under Fadnavis after being silent for a few days. Both Shinde and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Ajit Pawar took their oaths as the Deputy Chief Ministers of Maharashtra.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi, present at the ceremony, congratulated Devendra Fadnavis on his swearing-in as Chief Minister while also extending his wishes to Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar for taking on the roles of Deputy Chief Ministers.
Following the ceremony, Fadnavis met with Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan and Prime Minister Modi to discuss the state’s future governance.
Marking his third term as CM, Fadnavis is now Maharashtra’s 21st Chief Minister. Fadnavis first became Maharashtra’s Chief Minister in 2014, the BJP’s first in the state. In 2019, Fadnavis faced setbacks when the BJP’s alliance with Shiv Sena collapsed, and the Maha Vikas Aghadi government sidelined him. A brief stint with Ajit Pawar as CM lasted only 72 hours. He returned as Deputy Chief Minister in 2022, supporting Eknath Shinde after the Shiv Sena split, showcasing his loyalty and strategic patience.
The event saw prominent political figures in attendance, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP National President JP Nadda, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Chief Ministers and Deputy Chief Ministers of NDA-ruled states, along with various Union Ministers and NDA leaders, also joined the ceremony.
The Cabinet formation is expected soon. Opposition MLAs skipped the event, while Fadnavis’s family and those of Shinde and Pawar attended. A special session of the Legislature is set for December 7-9 in Mumbai, with the Winter Session to follow in Nagpur from December 16-23.
In a show of respect and solidarity, the newly appointed Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Ministers, along with their supporters, visited Mantralaya in Mumbai, where they paid tribute to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, honoring his contributions to the nation.
This swearing-in ceremony signals the beginning of a new political chapter for Maharashtra as Fadnavis, Shinde, and Pawar prepare to lead the state government in the coming years.