Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde is set to take the oath as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra on Thursday, alongside Devendra Fadnavis, who will be sworn in as Chief Minister.
According to Shiv Sena sources to news agency ANI, Shinde will take the oath along with Ajit Pawar as Deputy Chief Ministers in the new government.
Earlier, it was decided that Fadnavis would be the sole leader taking the oath as Chief Minister on Thursday.
Devendra Fadnavis is scheduled to assume the role of Chief Minister after being unanimously elected as the Leader of the Maharashtra BJP Legislative Party earlier today.
Fadnavis, Shinde, and Pawar met Governor CP Radhakrishnan to stake their claim to form the Mahayuti government.
After meeting the Governor, Fadnavis stated, "The swearing-in ceremony of the new government will be held tomorrow at 5:30 pm in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We will finalise by evening who will take the oath tomorrow. Yesterday, I met Eknath Shinde and requested him to join us in this government, as it is the wish of Mahayuti workers. I am confident he will be with us. We will fulfil the promises made to the people of Maharashtra."
Meanwhile, Eknath Shinde on Wednesday expressed his satisfaction with the two-and-a-half years of the Mahayuti government in Maharashtra, ahead of the swearing-in of BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis as Chief Minister.
"I am very happy with the completion of two-and-a-half years. The work done by our government--the Mahayuti government--by the three of us and our team in the last 2.5 years is remarkable. It will be written in golden letters in history. We are proud to have taken such significant decisions," said Shinde.
Shinde was accompanied by Fadnavis and NCP chief Ajit Pawar at a press conference.
Addressing the media, Pawar emphasised their commitment to effective governance. "We will leave no stone unturned in running the government. Party activities will be managed by BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule and NCP's Sunil Tatkare," he said.
The 2024 Maharashtra Assembly Election witnessed a resounding victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Mahayuti alliance, which secured a landslide win with 235 seats out of 288. The results marked a significant milestone for the BJP, which emerged as the single-largest party with 132 seats.
The Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party also recorded notable gains, securing 57 and 41 seats, respectively.
