Devendra Fadnavis is set to take the oath as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra for the third time today, with Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar joining him as deputy chief ministers. The swearing-in ceremony will take place at Azad Maidan in Mumbai, with a host of veterans from various fields and political leaders from all parties invited to attend. However, notable absentees include NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray, and MNS chief Raj Thackeray, who will not be present at the event.
In the recently concluded Maharashtra Assembly elections, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) suffered a crushing defeat, while the BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP Grand Alliance secured a decisive majority. The swearing-in ceremony for the new government is scheduled to take place today, following 13 days of turmoil after the results were announced. Devendra Fadnavis had extended invitations to Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, and Raj Thackeray for the event, but reports suggest that these leaders have opted to stay away from the ceremony.
Reasons for AbsenceSharad Pawar, a Rajya Sabha member, is currently in Delhi for the ongoing winter session of Parliament and is expected to miss the swearing-in ceremony. Raj Thackeray has cited personal reasons for his absence. The reason behind Uddhav Thackeray's decision to stay away from the event has yet to be confirmed.
Number of Oaths to Be TakenInitially, Prime Minister Modi was scheduled to attend the swearing-in ceremony for 20 minutes. However, his office has now been requested to extend his presence to an hour. If this happens, in addition to the Chief Minister and the two Deputy Chief Ministers, some ministers from the three parties are expected to take the oath. Shinde Sena leader Uday Samant revealed that all party MLAs want Eknath Shinde to join the cabinet, and they have made a request for him to do so. A final decision on this matter was still pending as of late Wednesday night.