BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis is set to take oath as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra today in a ceremony at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi attending the event. Joining him in the new government will be Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde and NCP’s Ajit Pawar, who will take the oath as Deputy Chief Ministers. The much-awaited swearing-in ceremony follows a series of political negotiations and consultations, where Fadnavis, Shinde, and Pawar met Governor CP Radhakrishnan to stake their claim to form the MahaYuti government. This marks Fadnavis’ third term as Chief Minister, after being unanimously elected by the Maharashtra BJP Legislative Party.

The announcement came after days of political suspense surrounding who would assume the top position in the state. Eknath Shinde, who had expressed his desire to become the Chief Minister, ultimately agreed to support Fadnavis, acknowledging the leadership of Prime Minister Modi. Shinde, speaking to the media, praised the achievements of the Mahayuti government, referring to the past two-and-a-half years as a period of remarkable progress. Alongside Fadnavis, Shinde and Pawar, BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule and NCP’s Sunil Tatkare will oversee party activities and governance.

The 2024 Maharashtra Assembly Elections saw a significant win for the BJP-led MahaYuti alliance, securing 235 seats out of 288 in the state legislature. The BJP emerged as the single-largest party with 132 seats, while Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party secured 57 and 41 seats, respectively. The results were a crushing blow to the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, with Congress winning just 16 seats and Shiv Sena (UBT) managing 20. This shift in power is expected to lead to new political dynamics in Maharashtra’s governance.