BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis takes oath as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra for the third time, after Mahayuti’s landslide victory in the Assembly Elections 2024. Mahayuti, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led alliance, includes Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-led NCP. Of the 288 seats, Mahayuti secured 230 seats – with BJP winning 132, Shiv Sena in 57 and NCP in 41 seats.

The swearing-in ceremony, which started at 5:30 pm Thursday, was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a host of religious and political leaders.

Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar take oath as Deputy Chief Ministers.

Maharashtra’s former Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who managed to drag out the suspense over the question of his joining the Devendra Fadnavis government till the last possible minute, took oath as the Deputy Chief Minister in Mumbai this evening. 

In his acceptance speech — which started even before the Governor could administer the oath — he recalled Bal Thackeray and Anand Dighe and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and the people of Maharashtra.  

Sergei Lavrov is in Malta for a two-day summit of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. 

​Sergei Lavrov is in Malta for a two-day summit of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.