Modi congratulates Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar after surprise Maharashtra swearing-in

In an unexpected development early on Saturday morning, the BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis was sworn in as Chief Minister of Maharashtra, with Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar taking oath as his deputy. The oath was administered at Raj Bhawan in Mumbai by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari.

How the government was formed

The swearing-in followed an overnight manoeuvre in which a section of the NCP, led by Ajit Pawar, the nephew of party chief Sharad Pawar, broke ranks and backed a government headed by Fadnavis. It was a major twist in the state’s political drama: only the previous day, Sharad Pawar had announced that Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray would lead the new government.

Congratulations from the Prime Minister

Among the first to greet the pair was Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In a message on Twitter, he congratulated them on becoming Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister and added: “I am confident they will work diligently for the bright future of Maharashtra.” Amit Shah also congratulated the two leaders.

What happened next

The arrangement did not hold. In the 2019 Assembly election the BJP had won 105 of the 288 seats, the Shiv Sena 56, the NCP 54 and the Congress 44. After the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance broke, Uddhav Thackeray of the Shiv Sena became Chief Minister in November 2019 with the support of the NCP and the Congress.

See also: BJP and NCP

Originally published on 23 November 2019. Rewritten on 9 October 2026.

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