Devendra Fadnavis took oath as Maharashtra’s Chief Minister Thursday evening, marking a powerful return to power, while Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar were sworn in as deputy chief ministers. The ceremony, attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and other leaders, saw no other ministers sworn in.
Following the event, the new leadership trio drove to Mantralaya, the state secretariat, where Fadnavis chaired his first cabinet meeting and addressed the media.
In a symbolic move, Fadnavis signed his first file as Chief Minister, approving a financial aid of Rs 5 lakh for a patient awaiting a bone marrow transplant. The request had been made by the wife of Pune-based Chandrakant Kurhade, who sought assistance from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.
“We will work with transparency for the welfare of the people,” Fadnavis told reporters. He also stated that the government would refrain from “vendetta politics,” referring to the diminished presence of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi in the state legislature.
Fadnavis called for an “overhaul of political culture” in Maharashtra, and spoke on the importance of political dialogue. He noted that he had invited prominent leaders such as Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray to the swearing-in ceremony, though they did not attend.
During the cabinet meeting, the government recommended that the state assembly session to administer the oath to new lawmakers be held from December 7 to 9. The election of the Speaker will take place on the final day of the session.
