Eknath Shinde has taken oath as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra.Along with him, BJP's Devendra Fadnavis also took oath as the Deputy Chief Minister of the state. The development comes after BJP president JP Nadda said Fadnavis would be part of the new Maharashtra Cabinet, minutes after he has announced he will not be in the government.
The BJP will extend support to Shinde's group, said Fadnavis, a former chief minister and currently Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, while adding that he would be out of government but will ensure its smooth functioning.Meanwhile, Shinde (58), MLA from Kopri-Panchpakhadi in neighbouring Thane city, a Shiv Sena bastion, started out as a grassroots Sena worker, and rose to become the most senior Sena minister in the Uddhav Thackeray government where he handled the urban development portfolio.