Lagatar24 Desk
Mumbai: Devendra Fadnavis is set to be sworn in today as the 18th Chief Minister of Maharashtra, bringing an end to over two weeks of suspense following the Mahayuti alliance’s sweeping victory in the state Assembly elections. The grand oath-taking ceremony will take place at 5 pm in Mumbai’s Azad Maidan and is expected to witness attendance from top BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
This marks Fadnavis’s third term as Chief Minister. His first stint began in October 2014, where he became the youngest Chief Minister of Maharashtra at the age of 44. His second term in November 2019, however, lasted just five days due to the Shiv Sena breaking its alliance with the BJP.
A Unified Leadership
Joining Fadnavis in the new government will be two Deputy Chief Ministers, including Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar. Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde, after weeks of speculation about his role, is expected to take up the position of Deputy Chief Minister.
Fadnavis emerged as the frontrunner for the Chief Minister post after the BJP clinched 132 seats in the elections, its highest-ever tally in Maharashtra. The alliance, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP, collectively won 230 of the 288 Assembly seats.
Security and Arrangements
The swearing-in ceremony is being organized on a grand scale, with over 42,000 attendees expected, including 19 Chief Ministers and Deputy Chief Ministers from across the country. The Mumbai Police have ramped up security, deploying over 4,000 personnel, Quick Response Teams, and bomb squads to maintain law and order. Traffic diversions are in place, and attendees have been advised to use public transport as parking facilities near Azad Maidan are unavailable.
Posters of Chief Minister-elect Fadnavis, Eknath Shinde, and Ajit Pawar have adorned the area, alongside those of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP National President JP Nadda.
Social Media Presence
Fadnavis’s popularity extends beyond politics, with his robust social media presence making him the most-followed politician from Maharashtra. He boasts millions of followers across platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and WhatsApp.
The BJP leader, credited as the architect of the alliance’s historic win in the Assembly elections, will now lead Maharashtra into a new phase of governance under the Mahayuti banner.
