Devendra Fadnavis to be sworn in today as Maharashtra's Chief Minister; Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar to serve as Deputy CMs

Mumbai, Dec 5 (NationPress) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Devendra Fadnavis will officially assume the role of Chief Minister of Maharashtra today, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in attendance.

Sources indicate that Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde and NCP's Ajit Pawar will take their oaths as Deputy Chief Ministers in the newly formed cabinet.

The swearing-in ceremony is set to occur at Azad Maidan in Mumbai, attracting various NDA Chief Ministers and leaders.

After a prolonged period of uncertainty regarding leadership, Fadnavis, Shinde, and Pawar approached Governor CP Radhakrishnan to assert their claim to establish the MahaYuti government.

Following the meeting with the Governor, Fadnavis announced, "The swearing-in ceremony for the new government will occur tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I have discussed with Eknath Shinde and invited him to be part of this government, as it aligns with the aspirations of MahaYuti workers... We are committed to delivering on the promises made to the people of Maharashtra."

This marks Fadnavis' third term as Chief Minister, having been unanimously elected as the Leader of the Maharashtra BJP Legislative Party on Wednesday.

The decision followed extensive speculation and political maneuvering, as Shinde aimed for the Chief Minister position. However, the BJP remained firm, leading Shinde to support Modi's choice for leadership.

In the meantime, Shinde expressed contentment with the accomplishments of the MahaYuti government during its two-and-a-half-year tenure before Fadnavis' swearing-in.

"I am delighted with our government's performance over the past two-and-a-half years. The achievements of our MahaYuti government are extraordinary and will go down in history. We take pride in having made such important decisions," Shinde stated.

Shinde was joined by Fadnavis and NCP leader Ajit Pawar during a press conference.

Pawar reiterated their dedication to effective governance, stating, "We will spare no effort in administering the government. The activities of our parties will be overseen by BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule and NCP's Sunil Tatkare."

The press conference also featured some lighthearted exchanges.

When asked if he and Ajit Pawar would be taking their oaths on December 5 as Fadnavis' deputies, Shinde humorously said, "Wait until evening..."

Pawar quipped back, "We will know about Shinde by evening; I will take the oath without delay."

Shinde then added, "Dada (Ajit Pawar) has experience taking oaths both in the morning and evening," which drew laughter from the audience.

In 2019, Pawar had taken the oath as Deputy Chief Minister alongside Fadnavis in an early morning ceremony at Raj Bhavan.

The 2024 Maharashtra Assembly Election saw an impressive victory for the BJP-led MahaYuti alliance, claiming a total of 235 seats out of 288. This outcome was a pivotal moment for the BJP, which emerged as the largest party with 132 seats.

Both Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party made significant gains, securing 57 and 41 seats, respectively.

Conversely, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) faced a considerable defeat, with the Congress winning merely 16 seats. Its ally, Shiv Sena (UBT), won 20 seats, while the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) managed to secure only 10 seats.