Shiv Sena rebel group leader Eknath Shinde on Thursday took oath as the new Chief Minister of Maharashtra in the presence of Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari at Mumbai’s Raj Bhawan. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis was sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister.
Shinde took oath as 20th Chief Minister of Maharashtra a day after Uddhav Thackeray resigned from the top post following a Supreme Court order that asked Thackeray-led Shiv Sena to take a floor test to prove its majority in Maharashtra Assembly.
However, after week long political turmoil and crack with the party with majority of MLs joing the Shinde-led rebel camp, Thackeray made a public announcement and stepped from the post of CM and MLC. Thackeray submitted his resignation to Maharashtra Governor later the same night.
Shinde, an MLA from Kopri-Panchpakhadi in Thane city, took the oath of office alone and a cabinet expansion will take place later. The BJP will extend support to Shinde’s group, said Fadnavis.
The BJP is the single largest party in the Assembly with 106 seats. “I will be out of government but will ensure smooth functioning of the government which is coming as an alternative after Uddhav Thackeray resigned,” Fadnavis said earlier in the day.
While speaking to reporters, Shinde said that he would work for the progress and development of the state “which had practically halted since the past 30 months of the previous government”, and reiterated that he would follow the ideals of Bahasaheb Thackeray’s Hindutva.
He also thanked the BJP and Fadnavis for their large-heartedness in supporting his prospective government.