Fadnavis takes oath as first BJP CM of Maharashtra with 10 ministers
PM Narendra Modi shakes hand with Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray as BJP President Amit Shah looks on in Mumbai on Friday. (Photo: PTI)
MUMBAI: Devendra Fadnavis was on Friday sworn in as the Chief Minister of the first BJP government in Maharashtra, along with 10 ministers, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah and senior leader L.K. Advani at a lavish ceremony at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
The Shiv Sena, which had announced that it would boycott the event, made a U-turn and party chief Uddhav Thackeray attended the event with his wife Rashmi. Industrialists, Bollywood personalities and leaders across parties were present to witness the ceremony at the jam-packed stadium.
Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao administered the oath of office and secrecy to Mr Fadnavis. Mr Thackeray’s presence at the swearing-in ceremony has indicated that the Fadnavis-led government would not be a minority one and might get the support of its former ally.
Sources in the BJP confirmed that Mr Shah called Mr Thackeray personally on the phone requested him to attend the programme after the Sena chief had made it clear that he would not be attending the swearing-in ceremony.
Mr Fadnavis also confirmed that the BJP chief had called Mr Thackeray personally. “Presence of Uddhavji was a happy moment for us. Our talks with Shiv Sena positive and we are also hopeful that there will be a positive outcome very soon,” Mr Fadnavis said.
Mr Fadnavis’ wife Amruta and mother were also present. CMs of BJP-ruled states Vasundhara Raje of Rajasthan, Manohar Parrikar of Goa, Raman Singh of Chhattisgarh, Anandiben Patel of Gujarat and Manohar Lal Khattar of Haryana were present at the ceremony.
BJP offers Sena 10 berths in its cabinet:
The presence of the Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray at the swearing-in ceremony of Devendra Fadnavis was seen as an indication that there could be a possible patch-up between the former allies in the coming days.
Meanwhile, talks between both the BJP and Shiv Sena continued on Friday. The ruling party has offered 10 portfolios to its former ally while Shiv Sena has been firm on 14. Both Amit Shah and Uddhav Thackeray also had a discussion at Wankhede Stadium after the swearing-in ceremony.
According to sources, after offering a meagre share in the Cabinet, BJP has now offered ten portfolios to the Shiv Sena to get it on board. The decision was taken in view of the fact that the minority government would not sustain for ten years.
Fadnavis to bring in Right to Service:
In its first decision, the BJP government headed by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has decided to bring in the Right to Service (RTS) Act for the citizens of Maharashtra.
The Act will serve as a tool for the common man to get their work done from the state administration within the stipulated time. A high-level committee headed by chief secretary Swad-heen Kshatriya has also been appointed for the preparation of the draft act.
Mr Fadnavis made the announcement on the RTS Act during his first interaction with mediapersons after taking charge. He also assured the people of full transparency and efficient governance for the next five years. He stated that the distribution of portfolios would be done by Saturday.
Mr Fadnavis’ newly sworn-in government came into action immediately after the conclusion of the oath-taking ceremony. “We will be coming up with the RTS Act very soon. The committee has been given a deadline of one month to complete the task,” Mr Fadnavis said.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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