Nagpurians Celebrate As Devendra Fadnavis Takes Oath As Maharashtra CM For Third Term

Nagpur: With city boy Devendra Fadnavis taking reins of the state for the third time, hundreds of Nagpurians gathered at city squares to celebrate the occasion. Large TV screens were set up by BJP workers at scores of venues to livestream the swearing-in ceremony. Mahila Morcha activists and women supporters, who played a big part in Mahayuti’s resounding victory, were present in large numbers.

Air fares for flights on Wednesday and Thursday from Nagpur to Mumbai rose steeply, touching the ₹ 25,000 mark late Thursday morning. Those who could not afford these high fares chose to travel by private cars or buses taking the Samruddhi Mahamarg which connects Nagpur and Mumbai. The superhighway, a pet project of Fadnavis, makes this journey possible in 8 hours.

At least 5000 people from Nagpur and Vidarbha are estimated to have travelled to Mumbai to witness the brief but grand ceremony graced by the Prime Minister. Nagpur MP and Union minister, whose equations with Fadnavis are often put under the scanner, was among those present on the dais when Fadnavis took oath as CM, along with his two deputies, Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar. Half a dozen luxury buses were arranged especially for women supporters of BJP who wanted to attend the ceremony.

Badkas Chowk, in the vicinity of RSS headquarters, saw joyous people gathering in large numbers, bursting firecrackers and distributing sweets. RSS, which reportedly sat out of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where BJP had lost ground in Vidarbha, extended full support to the party in the assembly elections. This helped Mahayuti to regain its footing in the region, winning 49 of the 62 seats.