Role reversal: Fadnavis CM, Shinde his deputy

Cabinet expansion expected before winter session of Maharashtra Assembly

- ARCHIS MOHAN

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislature party leader Devendra Fadnavis was sworn in as the new chief minister (CM) of Maharashtra at a grand ceremony held at Mumbai's iconic Azad Maidan on Thursday evening.

With Eknath Shinde of the Shiv Sena taking oath as deputy CM, the event ended the uncertainty over whether he would join the government. Shinde's party had insisted that he get the home portfolio.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Ajit Pawar also took oath as deputy CM.

Shinde prefaced his oath of office by invoking Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray and his mentor Anand Dighe, and also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, both of whom were present at the ceremony, which was also attended by several Union ministers, CMs, captains of industry, and Bollywood actors.

No other ministers took oath, which was evidence that the three allies in the Mahayuti – the BJP, Shiv Sena and the NCP – are still trying to work out the portfolio allocation. The government formation came about after 13 days of negotiations following the poll results announced on November 23.

The CM and his two deputies also held their first cabinet meeting in the evening, with the first decision being approving a proposal to provide financial assistance of ₹500,000 to a patient awaiting bone-marrow transplant.