By Tejas Navale
Pune, December 5, 2024: The long-awaited wait ended today as the Mahayuti coalition government took oath in Maharashtra, bringing an end to nearly two weeks of suspense in spite of the coalition’s decisive electoral victory. In a grand ceremony at Mumbai’s historic Azad Maidan, Devendra Fadnavis was sworn in as the Chief Minister, with Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar taking the oath as Deputy Chief Ministers. With this, the long speculation surrounding Shinde’s role in the government is also over, which had kept political observers on edge.
The oath-taking ceremony was a star-studded affair, with a plethora of dignitaries in attendance, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union ministers Amit Shah, JP Nadda, and Nitin Gadkari. The event also saw Bollywood superstars like Shah Rukh Khan, Ranveer Singh, and Ranbir Kapoor, as well as cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and industrialists Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani, all present to witness the swearing-in of the new Maharashtra government.
For Devendra Fadnavis, this marks his third term as Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Fadnavis first assumed the CM post in 2014 at the age of 44, making him the second youngest CM in the state’s history after Sharad Pawar. His tenure lasted a full five years, a feat only previously accomplished by Vasantrao Naik.
However, his second term in 2019 lasted a mere 72 hours in a controversial turn of events when he took an early morning oath with his then long-standing political opponent and his now colleague, Ajit Pawar, after Shiv Sena’s refusal to join hands with the BJP due to a dispute over the Chief Minister’s post. The Shiv Sena then aligned with the NCP and Congress, pushing the BJP out of the government.
Fadnavis made a dramatic return to power after Eknath Shinde, a senior Shiv Sena leader, revolted and formed a government with the BJP. In that government, Fadnavis accepted the role of Deputy Chief Minister under Shinde, his former junior, under party instructions. However, with the resounding victory of the Mahayuti alliance in the 2024 Assembly elections, which saw the BJP winning 132 seats, Fadnavis has regained his position as Chief Minister, marking a major political comeback after a tumultuous five years.
The new government’s swearing-in signals the return of stability for Fadnavis and the BJP in Maharashtra for at least some time to come. As the Mahayuti government is sworn in after their massive electoral victory, all eyes will now be on the performance of this new government.
