Maharashtra: Amit Shah Congratulates Fadnavis, Ajit Pawar On Taking Oath

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday congratulated Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar for taking oath as chief minister and deputy chief minister of Maharashtra. In a tweet, he expressed confidence that the two will set new standards of development in Maharashtra. “Heartiest congratulations to Devendra Fadnavis, Ajit Pawar on being sworn as CM and Deputy Chief Minister of the state. I am confident that this government will be committed to the development and welfare of Maharashtra and will set new standards of progress in the state,” Shah tweeted in Hindi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the first leader who congratulated the BJP-NCP alliance in Maharashtra. “Congratulations to Devendra Fadnavis ji and Ajit Pawar ji on taking oath as the CM and Deputy CM of Maharashtra respectively. I am confident they will work diligently for the bright future of Maharashtra,” PM Modi said on micro-blogging site (sic).”

In one of the biggest political twists in recent years, BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis took oath as Maharashtra Chief Minister at Raj Bhavan in Mumbai on Saturday morning, even as everyone was expecting a NCP-Shiv Sena-Congress official declaration on government formation. NCP’s Ajit Pawar took oath as Deputy Chief Minister in a quick ceremony in Mumbai. After the ceremony, Pawar explained the decision that has sent shockwaves in the Indian political arena. “From result day to this day no party was able to form Govt, Maharashtra was facing many problems including farmer issues, so we decided to form a stable government,” Pawar was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. Fadnavis said that, “People had given us a clear mandate, but Shiv Sena tried to ally with other parties after results, as a result President's rule was imposed. Maharashtra needed a stable govt not a 'khichdi' govt.”