Mumbai: A day after Uddhav Thackeray‘s resignation as the Maharashtra CM, rebel Shiv Sena MLA Eknath Shinde on Thursday evening took oath as the new Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
In an interesting development, that stunned everybody, former two-time Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
After a string of fast-paced developments, the BJP decided to support a minority government headed by Shinde from outside.
Fadnavis had announced that Shinde will be the next Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Springing a surprise, Fadnavis defied expectations that he would return as CM with the support of the Shinde faction.
Later, following directives of the party top brass like President J.P. Nadda, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and even Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Fadnavis – former two-time CM – finally agreed to join the new regime as the No 2 and Deputy CM.
The two-member cabinet will be expanded soon with more MLAs inducted as ministers from the Shinde group of Shiv Sena and the BJP, according to party sources.