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Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, in his first comments to the media after the oath ceremony and his first cabinet meeting this evening, expressed hope that the state would not see the kind of political turmoil it has seen over the last few years. The ruling alliance Mahayuti will provide a stable government for the next five years, he told reporters.
"From 2019 to mid-2022, we saw a lot of changes. We hope that there are no more similar shocks in the future," he told reporters an indirect jibe at the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi.
The 54-year-old, who took oath for the top post for the third time today, also played down the two-week delay in the process of government formation, caused by resistance from Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena. The party wanted the top post for its chief, arguing that it was his government's welfare measures that steered the ruling alliance to victory.
Mr Fadnavis recounted the changeable nature of posts, underscoring that it made no difference to their coordination. Earlier too, he has called the post a "technicality".
"In 2014 I was the Chief Minister and Shinde was with us. In 2019, for 72 hours, Ajit Dada and I were Chief Minister and deputy Chief Minister. After that, Shinde was the Chief Minister and Ajit Dada and I were Deputy Chief Ministers. Now I am the Chief Minister and they both are Deputy Chief Ministers," he said.
"Our roles have changed but the direction is the same, the pace is the same... You will not see anything different when you talk about the relation between the three of us," he added.
"This is a government of very fast decisions. Today on the occasion of the oath ceremony, I say the pace at which Maharashtra is going we will not stop," he said, "We have to make sure that all the decisions are well-thought, made at the same pace".
The "shocker" Mr Fadnavis spoke of involved the split in the Shiv Sena in 2023 caused by Mr Shinde and his rebel group, toppling the MVA government led by Uddhav Thackeray. He then joined forces with the BJP and formed a new government. Later that year, Ajit Pawar split the Nationalist Congress Party of his uncle Sharad Pawar, causing the third seismic change in the politics of the state and joined the government.
The ruling alliance, after an initial reverse at the hustings during the Lok Sabha election, successfully underwent a course correction and wrested a sweeping victory in the assembly polls.
Today, Mr Fadnavis reiterated that it was a victory of the governance provided in the state and the future will be better.
"This is a government of very fast decisions. Today on the occasion of the oath ceremony, I say the pace at which Maharashtra is going we will not stop," he said, "We have to make sure that all the decisions are well-thought, made at the same pace".