Prime Minister: A team that combines experience with dynamism.
MUMBAI, Dec 5:
Devendra Fadnavis made a remarkable comeback on Thursday evening, taking the oath as Maharashtra Chief Minister, alongside Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, who were sworn in as Deputy Chief Ministers at a grand ceremony held at Azad Maidan in South Mumbai.
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Following the ceremony, Fadnavis, 54, along with Shinde and Pawar, made their way to Mantralaya, the state secretariat, where Fadnavis chaired the first cabinet meeting of the new administration and addressed a press conference. The swearing-in ceremony, held nearly two weeks after the state assembly election results were declared on November 23, was attended by Prime Minister Modi, several Union Ministers, Chief Ministers from various states, and thousands of supporters from the Mahayuti alliance.
Notably, key opposition leaders were absent from the event, which featured a musical performance by renowned composer duo Ajay-Atul. Currently, no other ministers have been appointed, but the BJP leader indicated that the ministry would expand next week in preparation for the state legislature’s winter session in Nagpur.
Prominent attendees included Union ministers Amit Shah, J P Nadda, Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, and Shivraj Singh Chouhan, along with chief ministers from different NDA-ruled states like Yogi Adityanath and Nitish Kumar. Celebrities such as Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar were also present.
“Congratulations to Shri Devendra Fadnavis Ji on becoming Maharashtra’s Chief Minister and to Shri Eknath Shinde Ji and Shri Ajit Pawar Ji on their appointments as Deputy Chief Ministers,” Modi stated on social media after the ceremony. He emphasized that this team embodies both experience and dynamism, contributing to the Mahayuti’s historic mandate in Maharashtra. Modi assured that the Centre would support efforts to further development in the state.
Governor C P Radhakrishnan administered the oath of office to Fadnavis, Shinde (60), and Pawar (65). This marks Fadnavis’s third term as Chief Minister, while it is the sixth term for Ajit Pawar as Deputy Chief Minister. Notably, Fadnavis becomes the state’s first Deputy Chief Minister to rise to the position of Chief Minister.
Upon assuming office, Fadnavis approved a proposal to provide financial assistance of Rs five lakh for a bone marrow transplant, responding to a plea from the wife of a patient needing help from the Chief Minister’s relief fund. In his first address at Mantralaya, Fadnavis pledged that the government would operate transparently and focus on the welfare of the public.
He expressed a desire to avoid “vendetta politics,” in light of the reduced strength of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi in the assembly. Fadnavis called for an “overhaul of political culture” in the state, noting the importance of political dialogue, referencing his outreach to leaders like Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray for the swearing-in event, who ultimately did not attend.
Separately, Shinde remarked, “I worked as a common man when I was the Chief Minister, and will continue that as Deputy Chief Minister. I am committed to serving the common people.” In their first cabinet meeting that evening, the council recommended to the Governor that the new assembly session for administering oaths to newly elected MLAs be held from December 7 to 9, with the election of the Speaker taking place on the final day.
Before the ceremony, Fadnavis’s wife, banker and singer Amruta, described the day as “beautiful,” emphasizing the increased sense of responsibility. Fadnavis has been a key figure in the BJP’s campaign, leading the party to victory in 132 of the 288 assembly seats. The ruling Mahayuti coalition holds a commanding majority with 230 seats.
A delegation from the Mahayuti alliance visited the Governor at Raj Bhavan on Wednesday, shortly after Fadnavis was unanimously elected as the BJP legislature party leader. Fadnavis previously served as Chief Minister from 2014 to 2019 until a split occurred when Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena distanced itself from the BJP over the Chief Minister position. Fadnavis was briefly sworn in again with Ajit Pawar as Deputy Chief Minister, but that government dissolved after just 72 hours due to insufficient support from NCP legislators. (PTI)
