Maharashtra: Fadnavis takes oath as CM; Shinde, Ajit as deputies
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Devendra Fadnavis took oath as the chief minister of Maharashtra for the third time on Thursday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other dignitaries, including CMs of various National Democratic Alliance (NDA) states and Bollywood stars, were present at the event. Fadnavis first assumed the position in October 2014, serving until November 2019. His second term was brief, lasting only five days—from November 23 to 28, 2019—after the Shiv Sena broke its alliance with the BJP.
Shinde, Ajit take oath as deputy CMs
Alongside Fadnavis, Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar took oaths as deputy CMs of Maharashtra. When asked when other ministers would take the oath, BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar earlier said, "It is most likely that the council of ministers will be sworn in before the winter session of the assembly begins, so as to avoid administrative disruption."
PM Modi congratulates Shinde
Mahayuti government's victory in assembly elections
The oath-taking ceremony comes after the Mahayuti government won the recent assembly elections, winning 235 out of 288 seats. The BJP was the single-largest party with 132 seats, while Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) won 57 and 41 seats, respectively. Meanwhile, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition faced a crushing defeat, with the Congress winning just 16 seats.
Security measures and attendance at the oath-taking ceremony
Ahead of the big day, security at Azad Maidan was tightened with over 4,000 police personnel deployed for the event. Specialized units such as the State Reserve Police Force and Quick Response Teams are included in the security arrangements. For smooth vehicular movement in South Mumbai, 280 personnel were deployed for traffic management. The ceremony was expected to attract an audience of 42,000 people, including 2,000 VIPs.
