Devendra Fadnavis takes oath as Maharashtra CM; Eknath Shinde, Ajit Pawar sworn in as deputies (WATCH)

BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis took oath as the new chief minister of Maharashtra today. The swearing-in ceremony held at Mumbai's Azad Maidan was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Ministers Amit Shah, JP Nadda, and Nitin Gadkari and other leaders. Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar were sworn-in as Deputy Chief Ministers, taking up role in the Mahayuti 2.0.
 

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Fadnavis is a Brahmin and first became the CM in 2014 and again for a brief while in 2019. With today's swearing-in ceremony, Fadnavis is now set to begin his third term as CM of Maharashtra.

The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance secured a remarkable victory in the recent Maharashtra state assembly elections, winning 230 of the 288 seats. The BJP made a strong comeback from its Lok Sabha election setbacks, claiming 132 seats, the highest among all Mahayuti constituents. Shinde's Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar's NCP also performed well, with Sena winning 57 seats and NCP securing 41.

Look at Devendra Fadnavis' political journey

Devendra Fadnavis, the son of late Gangadhar Fadnavis, a prominent Jan Sangh and BJP leader, began his political journey under the influence of his mentor and fellow Nagpur politician, Nitin Gadkari. Fadnavis entered politics early, joining the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the RSS, in 1989.

At just 22, he became a corporator in the Nagpur Municipal Corporation and later, at 27, the city’s youngest mayor in 1997. His ascent continued as he contested and won his first assembly election in 1999. Since then, he has consistently secured victories in three subsequent elections and currently represents the Nagpur South West constituency.

In 2014, Devendra Fadnavis made history as Maharashtra's first Brahmin Chief Minister in nearly four decades, following in the footsteps of Shiv Sena's Manohar Joshi, the last Brahmin CM of the state.

Fadnavis enjoys the strong backing of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who once praised him at an election rally, saying, "Devendra is Nagpur's gift to the country."

During the 2014 Modi wave, Fadnavis played a key role in the aggressive campaigning for both the Lok Sabha and Maharashtra assembly elections, which ultimately led to his selection as the state's Chief Minister.

Unlike some other political figures in Maharashtra, Fadnavis has remained largely untouched by corruption allegations.

Devendra Fadnavis is credited with cornering the previous Congress-NCP government over the alleged irrigation scam. His tenure as Chief Minister was marked by a focus on pro-development initiatives, including the ambitious expansion of Mumbai Metro, the Jalyukta Shivar water conservation program, and efforts to elevate Maharashtra to a $1 trillion economy.

Fadnavis also revived plans for an International Finance Centre in Mumbai, aiming to create a global financial hub at Bandra Kurla Complex. He appointed a committee of industry experts to recommend the necessary financial and legal frameworks to facilitate the project.

In education, his government implemented several key reforms, such as capping the weight of school bags at 10% of a child’s body weight and establishing a mechanism to regulate fees and admissions in private unaided professional institutes.

However, Fadnavis' tenure was not without its challenges. His administration faced criticism over issues like farmer distress, rising unemployment, and inadequate relief efforts during severe droughts.

In 2019, Fadnavis was reappointed as Chief Minister, but his tenure was short-lived. Despite the BJP-led NDA securing a full majority, Shiv Sena unexpectedly aligned with the opposition to claim the Chief Minister’s position. In response, Fadnavis formed a hasty alliance with NCP’s Ajit Pawar and they both took an oath as Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister. However, their government lasted just 80 hours, as Sharad Pawar — known for his political acumen — convinced his nephew Ajit to return to the opposition, delivering a significant blow to Fadnavis’ political standing.

Fadnavis later accepted the post of Deputy Chief Minister with grace.