Devendra Fadnavis

Pravin Darekar, chairman of the MDCC Bank, also known as Mumbai Bank, is a member of the state legislative council and considered to be close to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Fadnavis' comments are in continuation of a massive coordinated counter attack against Congress. Several BJP, over the past one week, accused the grand old party of orchestrating drama and shedding crocodile tears on Ambedkar.

He reassured constituents that ministers, many of whom are currently visiting their constituencies after the allocation, would begin addressing backlogged projects once they assume full charge of their departments.

Eknath Shinde, the former Chief Minister and now one of two Deputy Chief Ministers, has been assigned the Urban Development, Housing, and Public Works (Public Enterprises) ministries.

Speaking in the assembly, Fadnavis said the opposition used all means to win the state polls. He emphasized he was not questioning the opposition’s patriotism, but they should realize to whom they are lending their shoulders to create unrest in the country.

For the sixth time, Ajit Pawar assumed office as Maharashtra's deputy chief minister after taking the oath on December 5

There are a few individuals who are part of Fadnavis' trusted inner circle, however, none of them quite fit the role of "Amit Shah" as the Union Home Minister does for PM Modi.

On Sunday, 39 MLAs were sworn in as ministers in Nagpur—19 from the BJP, 11 from the Shiv Sena, and 9 from the NCP.

While Eknath Shinde was also expected to be part of the meeting alongside Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, he instead decided to stay put at his Thane residence and skip the meeting.

The trust motion, tabled by Shiv Sena MLA Uday Samant and others, was passed by a voice vote on the last day of the three-day special assembly session.

The home ministry remains a sticking point in the power-sharing negotiations within the Mahayuti coalition, which includes the BJP, Shinde’s Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar’s faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

The Maha Vikas Aghadi constitutes the Shiv Sena (UBT), the Congress and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP). The delegation was led by Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Bhaskar Jadhav.

The three leaders were administered the oath as MLAs by the legislative assembly's pro-tem speaker Kalidas Kolambkar soon after the proceedings of the House began at 11 am.

The MNS chief supported BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections but contested alone in the state assembly elections held in November. It failed to secure even one seat.

The alliance between BJP and the Shiv Sena fell out after Uddhav Thackeray decided to walk out of the NDA in 2019 and formed a government in partnership with the Congress and NCP.

Addressing his first press conference after taking over as CM, Fadnavis said the mandate of people in the 2024 assembly elections reflected their expectations and love, and he is feeling the pressure of their hope.

"The way Devendra ji and Ajit dada (Pawar) helped and cooperated with me (when he was the CM), I will extend all possible cooperation and backing to the chief minister. We will work as a team," Shinde said.

The Mahayuti has returned to power in Maharashtra following a resounding electoral mandate. Could the changed power dynamics impact its functioning and delivery?

Fadnavis' return as Maharashtra CM marks a significant moment for the BJP, which has clawed its way back to the top in a complex state dominated by regional players and caste calculations.

The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari and others, CMs and deputy CM of NDA-ruled states among several other dignitaries.