Beating all speculation after winning the Maharashtra elections, BJP manages to make its leader the new chief minister of the state. How did Devendra Fadnavis make such a strong comeback?
Our Bureau
Mumbai
After suspense of a few days and amid much speculation, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday took the oath of office as Chief Minister of Maharashtra in a ceremony held at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan. Governor CP Radhakrishnan administered the oath to Fadnavis.
The ceremony witnessed the presence of prominent leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh. Prominent personalities, including cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Ranveer Singh, and Madhuri Dixit, graced the event.
PM Modi on Thursday extended his greetings to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Devendra Fadnavis on taking oath as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra for the third time. “Congratulations to Shri Devendra Fadnavis Ji on taking the oath as Maharashtra’s Chief Minister. Congratulations to Shri Eknath Shinde Ji and Shri Ajit Pawar Ji on taking the oath as the Deputy Chief Ministers of the state,” PM Modi wrote in his post on X.
Notably, Prime Minister Modi also attended the swearing-in ceremony held at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan, where Devendra Fadnavis took the oath as Chief Minister of Maharashtra alongside Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, who assumed the roles of Deputy Chief Ministers.
Prime Minister Modi further noted that this team will do everything possible to fulfil the aspirations of the people of the state and to ensure there is good governance. “This team is a blend of experience and dynamism, and it is due to this team’s collective efforts that the Mahayuti has got a historic mandate in Maharashtra. This team will do everything possible to fulfil the aspirations of the people of the state and to ensure there is good governance,” the post on X further reads.
“I assure all possible support from the Centre in furthering development in Maharashtra,” he added.
Till 24 hours ago, it was not certain if Fadnavis will become the chief minister again. But he has come back with a bang.
Born on July 22, 1970, into a middle-class family in Nagpur, Fadnavis holds a graduate degree in law, a postgraduate degree in business management, and a diploma in project management. Fadnavis began his political career in 1992 when he was elected as a counselor in the Nagpur Municipal Corporation, serving two consecutive terms. Subsequently, he has been elected as an MLA for five consecutive terms.
From 2014 to 2019, Fadnavis served as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, becoming the second-youngest Chief Minister in the state’s history after Sharad Pawar.
In addition to his role as Chief Minister, Fadnavis held key portfolios, including Home, General Administration, IT, Urban Development, Law and Judiciary, Ports, and Information & Public Relations.
During his tenure as Chief Minister, he spearheaded several flagship projects and initiatives, such as Mumbai Next, the Police Digitization Project, the Samruddhi Expressway, and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Krishi Sanman Scheme.
Fadnavis briefly held the Chief Minister’s post for five days during the 2019 Maharashtra political crisis. This occurred after the Shiv Sena, led by Uddhav Thackeray, formed a government with the Congress and the then-united Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), breaking its longstanding alliance with the BJP.
The 2024 Maharashtra Assembly Election proved to be a historic win for the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance, which secured a landslide victory with 235 seats. The BJP emerged as the single largest party, winning 132 seats.
Emphasizing the unity within the Mahayuti alliance, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday stated that Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar stand firmly with him, and the alliance remains steadfast in its direction and pace, with only their roles having changed.
Addressing a press conference after taking the oath as Chief Minister, Fadnavis said the government would make thoughtful decisions aimed at the betterment of Maharashtra. “In the past two and a half years, we have worked for Maharashtra’s development, and we will continue to do so. We will not stop now. The direction and speed remain unchanged, but our roles have shifted. Every decision we make will priorities Maharashtra’s progress. We aim to fulfil the promises outlined in our manifesto,” he said.
On opposition criticism regarding delays in forming the government, Fadnavis noted that coalition governments require extensive consultations. “I don’t see this as a delay in forming the government. Even in 2004, the process took 12-13 days, and in 2009, it took about nine days. In a coalition setup, decisions require widespread consultation. We’ve completed most of this process and have nearly finalized the allocation of portfolios, with a few remaining decisions to follow,” he explained.
Reaffirming his commitment to unity, he said, “Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar are with me. People have chosen us for stability, and we will work together. We will continue initiatives like the ‘Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana.’ The Cabinet has decided to hold a special Assembly session on December 7-8 to elect the Speaker, with the Governor’s address scheduled for December 9.”
As his first act in office, Fadnavis approved Rs 5 lakh in monetary assistance for a bone marrow transplant patient.
The Chief Minister also directed the administration to expedite processes and work with increased vigor to meet public expectations. He stressed the importance of accelerating efforts, addressing core issues, and prioritizing sustainable development in decision-making.
Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde, who took oath as Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister on Wednesday, congratulated Devendra Fadnavis on taking oath as Chief Minister and said that he would fully support the BJP leader and cooperate with him in running the government.
He said the Mahayuti government belonged to the common man.
“Devendra Fadnavis has taken oath as CM in a historic swearing-in ceremony. I congratulate him. Maharashtra is a state that gives ideological direction to the country and I, who comes from a simple farmer family, got the opportunity to become the CM of such a state with the blessings of Balasaheb Thackeray. PM Narendra Modi also supported us completely, gave us full strength. Union Home Minister Amit Shah also stood behind us with full strength…And that is why we could do so much work in 2.5 years. We have taken so many historic decisions,” Shinde told reporters.
Shinde said that Mahayauti government, which was led by him, got the blessing of the people due to schemes like Ladli Behna Yojana.
Amruta Fadnavis, wife of newly elected Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, expressed her happiness following her husband’s swearing-in ceremony for his third term as the Chief Minister, stating that he will continue to serve the people during his next term.
“I am happy. Devendra ji has taken oath as CM for the third time today. He has served the people and will continue to do so in future too…,” she told ANI shortly after the oath-taking ceremony.
In response to a query, she added, “More schemes should be added up as per the requirements. Modern techniques should also be made available to the farmers with lower interest rates or no interest rates. There are such requirements”
Ahead of the oath-taking, Amruta Fadnavis hailed the “Ladki Behen” initiative, calling it a “great project”.
“Ladki Behen has been a great project under which the women got associated with Devendra ji and the Mahayuti…,” she told reporters.
But Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh on Thursday criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the formation of the Maharashtra Cabinet, accusing it of breaking parties to establish its government in the state.
“Eknath Shinde stayed with the BJP, yet he was sidelined. The BJP has achieved its objective–they broke the parties and then formed their own government,” the AAP leader remarked.
However, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) Chief Raj Thackeray on Thursday congratulated Devendra Fadnavis on taking oath as Maharashtra Chief Minister for the third time. “Today my friend and leader of Bharatiya Janata Party in Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis took oath as Chief Minister for the third time, Congratulations to him,” he posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Raj Thackeray remarked that Fadnavis should have been given this opportunity in 2019 but circumstances prevented that from happening. The MNS chief extended his party’s support to the Fadnavis-led government, and said, “For the next 5 years, any good initiative of the government will be supported by me and my party.”
