Mumbai, Dec 5: In a remarkable return to power, Devendra Fadnavis took the oath of office as Maharashtra’s Chief Minister on Thursday evening. Joining him at a grand ceremony held in Azad Maidan, South Mumbai, were Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, who were sworn in as the deputy chief ministers under the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance.
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Following the ceremony, Fadnavis, aged 54, along with Shinde and Pawar, traveled to Mantralaya, the state secretariat, for their first cabinet meeting. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, multiple Union ministers, various state chief ministers, and thousands of Mahayuti alliance supporters were present at the event, which came nearly two weeks after the state assembly election results were announced on November 23.
The ceremony was notably attended by prominent political figures, although many opposition leaders were absent. The event also featured a musical performance by the acclaimed duo Ajay-Atul, known for their contributions to Indian music. While no other ministers were sworn in at this time, the government is expected to expand the cabinet next week in preparation for the winter session of the state legislature in Nagpur.
Among those present were Union ministers Amit Shah, J P Nadda, Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, and Shivraj Singh Chouhan, along with chief ministers from various NDA-governed states, including Yogi Adityanath, Nitish Kumar, Himanta Biswa Sarma, Mohan Yadav, and Pramod Sawant. The ceremony also saw the attendance of notable personalities from the film industry such as Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, and Madhuri Dixit, as well as cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and industrialist Mukesh Ambani.
After the event, Prime Minister Modi took to X and congratulated Fadnavis and his deputy ministers, stating, “This team represents a blend of experience and energy, and it is thanks to their efforts that the Mahayuti has received a historic mandate in Maharashtra. They will work tirelessly to fulfill the state’s aspirations and ensure good governance, with the Centre providing full support for Maharashtra’s development.”
Fadnavis, elected from the Nagpur South West constituency, was sworn in by Governor C P Radhakrishnan, with Shinde (60) and Pawar (65) also taking their oaths. This marks Fadnavis’ third term as Chief Minister and Pawar’s sixth term as deputy chief minister, making Fadnavis the first deputy chief minister to elevate to the role of chief minister.
In one of his initial acts as chief minister, Fadnavis approved financial assistance of ₹5 lakh for a patient awaiting a bone marrow transplant, addressing a request from the patient’s wife. He expressed the commitment of his government to work with transparency and prioritize the welfare of the populace while distancing from vendetta politics.
Fadnavis also expressed the need for an “overhaul of political culture” and emphasized the importance of political communication, mentioning he had invited leaders like Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray to the ceremony, despite their absence. Notably, Fadnavis had attended the 2019 swearing-in of the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government.
Shinde later remarked at a separate press conference that he would continue to serve the “common man” in his role as deputy chief minister. During the first cabinet meeting, the assembly session for new MLAs was recommended to be held from December 7 to 9, with the election for the House Speaker set for the last day of the session.
Fadnavis’s wife, Amruta, highlighted the significance of the day, expressing both joy and a heightened sense of responsibility. As the prominent face of the BJP’s campaign, Fadnavis led the party to a victory with 132 seats in the 288-member assembly, as the BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP ‘Mahayuti’ coalition secured a majority with a total of 230 seats.
On the Wednesday prior to Fadnavis’s swearing-in, a delegation from the Mahayuti alliance met with the Governor after he was unanimously elected as the BJP’s leader in the state legislature. Fadnavis previously served as Chief Minister from 2014 to 2019 before the alliance with Shiv Sena dissolved after the 2019 elections, which led to a brief government formation with Ajit Pawar that lasted just 72 hours due to insufficient backing from NCP legislators.
