Maharashtra CM oath ceremony live: Eknath Shinde to take call for deputy CM post in an hour, says Shiv Sena leader

Devendra Fadnavis of the Bharatiya Janata Party will be sworn in as the chief minister of Maharashtra for the third time on Thursday at 5.30pm in Mumbai’s Azad Maidan.

Devendra Fadnavis is expected to be accompanied by two deputy chief ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, from allies the Shiv Sena and the NCP, in his new cabinet.

Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar served as deputy chief ministers under outgoing chief minister Eknath Shinde under the Mahayuti government.

The role of Eknath Shinde remains uncertain in the new cabinet under Devendra Fadnavis. Eknath Shinde left the choice of chief minister face to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah after reports suggested him being upset about being denied the top post.

Before Eknath Shinde’s decision, Shiv Sena leaders continued to demand Shinde’s appointment as chief minister, crediting their leader with delivering a landslide victory to the Mahayuti alliance in the assembly election.

When asked if he would take the oath, Shinde on Wednesday asked everyone to wait until the evening. Ajit Pawar interjected and said, “We will know about Shinde by evening, but I will take it (the oath); I will not wait.”

Shinde smiled at the response. “Dada (Ajit Pawar) has experience of taking [oath] both in the morning and evening,” he said, eliciting laughter. His allusion to an early morning oath-taking in 2019 by Fadnavis and Pawar as the CM and deputy CM of a government that was to collapse five days later.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several BJP chief ministers and supporters from the Mahayuti allies, including BJP, Shiv Sena and the NCP, are expected to attend the event.

The Mumbai police have made special arrangements for over 40,000 people. Around 2,000 VVIPs, including political leaders and influential figures from various religious communities, will be given separate seating arrangements to ensure their comfort and security. More than 3,500 police personnel, including 520 officers, have been deployed to maintain security.

Police also announced advisories and traffic restrictions to ensure a hassle-free experience for all attendees. The order will be effective from 12pm until the event’s conclusion. Due to the lack of parking facilities at the venue, police have encouraged the citizens to use public transport, particularly trains and local services.