Devendra Fadnavis sworn in as Maharashtra CM; Eknath Shinde, Ajit Pawar take oath as his deputies

 Fadnavis, 54, elected from Nagpur South West constituency, became chief minister for the third time

PTI Mumbai, 05.12.24 : BJP legislature party leader Devendra Fadnavis was sworn-in as new chief minister of Maharashtra while allies Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar took oath as deputy CMs at a grand ceremony here on Thursday evening.

The event, attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several Union ministers and chief ministers of various states besides thousands of supporters of the BJP-led Mahayuti, took place at the Azad Maidan ground nearly two weeks after the results of the assembly elections were declared on November 23.

Fadnavis, 54, elected from Nagpur South West constituency, became chief minister for the third time.

Governor C P Radhakrishnan administered the oath of office to Fadnavis and his two deputies.

Other members of the cabinet will likely take oath before the winter session of the assembly starts, BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar had said earlier in the day.

Fadnavis emerged as the frontrunner for the top post as he was the face of the BJP's campaign and led the party to victory in 132 seats in the 288-member House.

The BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP `Mahayuti' coalition has a commanding majority of 230 seats.

Agencies:  Devendra Fadnavis has officially begun his third term as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, marking a significant chapter in his political career that has been filled with unexpected twists and turns. 

Fadnavis first took office in 2014, leading a coalition government between the BJP and Shiv Sena. However, the 2019 state elections saw a dramatic fallout between the two parties over the CM post, resulting in a brief power-sharing agreement. Fadnavis was sworn in once again, but his government collapsed within just 72 hours after Deputy CM Ajit Pawar failed to secure enough support from the NCP's MLAs.

Following a split within the Shiv Sena, Fadnavis returned to power as Deputy CM under Eknath Shinde's leadership when the Mahayuti coalition was formed. Now, in this latest development, he ascends once again to the top post, with the backing of his allies and a strong majority in the state Assembly.

Eknath Shinde, who led the Mahayuti government in the previous term, had initially expressed reluctance to step down from the Chief Minister’s position. However, after extended negotiations with his allies and party members, Shinde agreed to serve as Deputy CM in Fadnavis' cabinet.

This agreement came after two weeks of intense discussions within the Mahayuti alliance, following its resounding victory in the recent state elections. The BJP alone secured 132 seats, further consolidating its dominant position in the coalition.

Shinde had initially resisted taking a secondary role, citing dissatisfaction with the BJP’s refusal to allocate key portfolios, including the Home Ministry and the position of Assembly Speaker, to Shiv Sena. On Wednesday, Shinde accompanied Fadnavis to Raj Bhavan but refrained from making a commitment, telling the press that he had yet to decide whether to join the government.

However, by Thursday morning, it was revealed that Shiv Sena MLAs had rallied behind Shinde, even suggesting they would forgo ministerial posts if their leader was excluded from the government. The pressure was evident, and BJP leader Girish Mahajan’s visit to Shinde’s residence signaled a final effort to break the deadlock. Hours later, Uday Samant, a senior Shiv Sena leader, confirmed that Shinde had agreed to take the oath as Deputy CM.

With these final agreements in place, Fadnavis embarks on his third term as Maharashtra’s Chief Minister, supported by a stable alliance and a commanding majority in the state’s legislative assembly.