Devendra Fadnavis to take oath as Maharashtra CM, PM Modi to attend ceremony | SEE FULL GUEST LIST

BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis will take the oath of office as Maharashtra's chief minister, bringing an end to a two-week-long deadlock over who would hold the top position following the Mahayuti alliance's unexpected victory in the state's November 20 Assembly elections.

The oath taking ceremony, set to take place in Mumbai's Azad Maidan at 5 pm, will be attended by top BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, among others.

The 54-year-old will serve as chief minister for the third time. At the age of 44, he became the state's youngest chief minister during his initial tenure in the position, which lasted from October 2014 until November 2019.

Also Read | Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde to take oath as Maharashtra Deputy CM

However, the entire Shiv Sena withdrew from an alliance with the BJP during his second spell, which lasted barely five days, from November 23 to November 28, 2019. In addition to Fadnavis, two Deputy Chief Ministers will also take office today, including Ajit Pawar, the head of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

In addition to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, 1,000 recipients of Maharashtra's popular "Ladki Bahin" program have been invited to the new government's oath-taking ceremony on Thursday.

Similar to the opening of the new Parliament building, farmer beneficiaries, sadhus, and saints will join them. The Mahayuti's overwhelming victory in the 2024 assembly elections was attributed in large part to the "Ladki Bahin" campaign.

Also Read | Maharashtra CM-designate Fadnavis stakes claim to form govt; oath ceremony on Dec 5 at 5.30 pm

According to officials, special arrangements have been made to accommodate 40,000 BJP supporters and a separate seating arrangement made for 2,000 VVIPs, including leaders from various religions.

More than 4,000 police officers have been deployed in to provide security for the swearing-in event, according to officials. They also reported the deployment of a State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) platoon, the Quick Response Team (QRT), the Riots Control Team, Delta, combat teams, and the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad.

Also Read | Maharashtra Govt declares December 6 as holiday to commemorate Dr Ambedkar's death anniversary

Sources said that the Ministry of Home Affairs will remain with the BJP. Various other ministries have been divided among the three parties of the Mahayuti alliance.