Devendra Fadnavis to Take Oath as Maharashtra CM Today, Ajit Pawar, Shinde as Deputies

BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis will take the oath as Maharashtra Chief Minister for the third time at a grand ceremony scheduled at Azad Maidan in Mumbai on Thursday.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde will be sworn in as Deputy Chief Ministers in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The event is expected to see the participation of several NDA leaders and Chief Ministers from across the country. The area around Azad Maidan has already been adorned with posters of Fadnavis, Shinde, and Pawar, reflecting the celebratory atmosphere.

After days of intense speculation and political maneuvering, Fadnavis was unanimously chosen as the BJP Legislature Party leader on Wednesday during a meeting held at Vidhan Bhawan. Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, serving as the BJP’s central observer, announced the decision.

Fadnavis, along with Shinde and Pawar, met Governor CP Radhakrishnan to stake their claim to form the "Mahayuti" (Grand Alliance) government, ending the suspense over the state's top leadership.

While Shinde had expressed aspirations to become Chief Minister, he later pledged his support to BJP’s choice, stating his commitment to the alliance and Prime Minister Modi’s vision.

The 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections marked a historic victory for the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance, which secured a resounding majority with 235 seats. The BJP emerged as the single largest party with 132 seats, followed by Shiv Sena and the NCP, which won 57 and 41 seats, respectively.

In contrast, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) suffered a major defeat. Congress managed to secure only 16 seats, while its allies—Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP faction—won 20 and 10 seats, respectively.

Fadnavis, a veteran BJP leader, has represented the Nagpur South West constituency since 1999 and successfully defended his stronghold in this election by defeating Congress candidate Prafulla Vinodrao Gudadhe.

This is not the first time Ajit Pawar will serve as Deputy Chief Minister under Fadnavis. In 2019, the duo took oath in an early-morning ceremony at Raj Bhavan, a short-lived government that lasted only a few days.