NEW DELHI, June 30: In yet another change in their schedule, the BJP leader and former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday took oath as the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra after the rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde was sworn-in as the chief minister at a simple ceremony at the Raj-Bhavan by the governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari.
Fadnavis who had initially refused to take an portfolio and decided to stay out of the ministry later accepted the party president JP Nadda’s request to join the cabinet but said would take the oath at a later date.
However, in the evening, Shinde and Fadnavis took the oath together ending all speculations about the formation of the new government.
Earlier rebel leader video-called his camp followers who are still stationed in a hotel in Goa. The rebels were elated to receive a call from their leader and were seen waving to him.
They also chanted, “Eknath Shinde tum aage badho hum tumhare saath hain (Eknath Shinde, you keep moving ahead we are with you).”
Earlier, in another video the rebel MLAs were seen dancing in what appeared to be a banquet hall, watching the news briefing on a giant screen. They were elated to know that Shinde will replace Thackeray as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra as the announcement was made by Fadnavis.
(Manas Dasgupta)
