The swearing-in ceremony of newly-elected BJP-led Mahayuti government is all set to be a grand ceremony on Thursday, December 5. Following the landslide victory of BJP-led coalition in Maharashtra, senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis will take oath as the Chief Minister later in the day, putting end to at least one speculation in the ‘maha’ political landscape.
Along with Fadnavis, his deputies, including Ajit Pawar and Ekanth Shinde, will be administered oath by the governor in the grand event in Mumbai’s Azad Maidan which will mark the presence of top leaders of BJP’s allies, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. According to the media reports, over 40,000 guests are anticipated to attend the function with 9-10 union ministers, including Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and 19 Chief Ministers.
A separate seating arrangement has made for 2,000 VVIPs, including leaders from various religions. The ceremony is going to be a star-studded event as several renowned personalities from Marathi and Hindi film industry are also expected to mark their presence. In the November 20 Maharashtra assembly elections, the Mahayuti coalition of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Eknath Shinde -led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), registered a resounding victory by winning 230 seats in the 288-member House.
The BJP emerged as the single largest party, bagging 132 seats of the 149 seats it contested, securing a vote share of 26.77%. This is a step up from the 2019 Assembly elections, where the BJP had secured 105 seats and a 25.75% vote share. Its ally, the Shiv Sena ( Eknath Shinde faction), added a significant 12.38% vote share, further strengthening the coalition’s hold over the state. While Shinde-led Sena bagged 57 seats, the NCP won 41 seats to take the Mahayuti total to 230 seats. This victory positions the BJP as the undisputed leader in Maharashtra politics, dominating both in terms of vote share and seat tally.
The Mahayuti alliance comprises the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction), BJP and Ajit Pawar-led NCP. The MVA retained power by winning 230 of the 288 assembly seats in the just-concluded state polls, leaving the Aghadi with just 46 seats. Meanwhile, the term of the current state assembly ended on Wednesday, November 26. Fadnavis is all set to become Maharashtra CM for third term after serving as the top leader in 2014 and 2019.
Post 2014 elections, Fadnavis had completed a full five-year term while in coalition with the then-undivided Shiv Sena. After the 2019 assembly elections, the BJP, under Fadnavis, briefly formed a government with Ajit Pawar, who was sworn in as deputy chief minister. However, the government lasted only for 80 hours, as Ajit Pawar pulled out again to be with his uncle, Sharad Pawar , the current NCP (SP) chief.
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