Maharashtra CM swearing-in ceremony: BJP legislature party leader Devendra Fadnavis will be sworn in as the new chief minister of Maharashtra on Thursday evening at a grand ceremony in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, according to the latest reports, only Devendra Fadnavis, Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde are expected to take oath today. Fadnavis (54), an MLA from Nagpur, will be sworn in as the CM of Maharashtra for the third time.
On Wednesday, Fadnavis, joined by Shinde and Pawar, met with state Governor CP Radhakrishnan to formally stake claim to form the government, presenting letters of support from the coalition partners. The formation of the government under Fadnavis comes after two weeks of intense negotiations following the November 20 state assembly polls, the results of which were declared on November 23. Fadnavis had emerged as the frontrunner for the coveted post following the BJP's strong showing in the elections as it secured 132 seats in the 288-member House.
According to reports, the winter session of the Legislature will begin in Nagpur from December 16, before which the first phase of cabinet expansion can be done on December 12.
Swearing in, a grand affair
The swearing-in ceremony is expected to be a grand affair with nearly 42,000 attendees. PM Modi, several Union ministers, and chief ministers and deputy CMs of various states will attend the ceremony. Special arrangements have been made to accommodate 40,000 BJP supporters and a separate seating arrangement made for 2,000 VVIPs, including leaders from various religions, he said. More than 4,000 police personnel have been deployed for security during the swearing-in ceremony, an official said.
