Business Tycoons, Bollywood Stars Attend Fadnavis’ Swearing-In Ceremony as Maharashtra CM

GG News Bureau
Mumbai, 5th Dec. A glittering array of business tycoons, Bollywood stars, and prominent personalities gathered at Mumbai’s iconic Azad Maidan on Thursday to witness the swearing-in of Devendra Fadnavis as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra for the third time.

Fadnavis, who had famously declared, “I’ll be back,” in the Maharashtra Assembly after the BJP lost its government in 2019, took oath as Chief Minister today, following a two-year stint as the Deputy Chief Minister to Eknath Shinde. Today, the roles were reversed, with Fadnavis assuming the top post, signaling a victorious moment for the BJP.

Ajit Pawar was also sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP Chief Ministers from other states were present on the stage to mark the occasion. Union Ministers were also in attendance, adding to the political significance of the event.

The star-studded ceremony saw Bollywood icons such as Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Madhuri Dixit, Ranbir Kapoor, and Ranveer Singh among the prominent guests. The business world was also represented by the likes of Pranav Adani, Managing Director of Adani Group, and Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman of Aditya Birla Group.

Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, along with his wife Anjali, was also present, lending further star power to the event.

The swearing-in ceremony came after the Mahayuti alliance secured a decisive victory in the Maharashtra assembly elections held on November 23. The BJP emerged as the single largest party, securing 230 seats, while allies Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) won 57 and 41 seats, respectively. The opposition alliance, Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), led by Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena faction, Congress, and Sharad Pawar’s NCP faction, was left reeling with a combined total of just 46 seats.

Fadnavis’ political journey has been remarkable. From a young corporator to becoming the youngest mayor of Nagpur, he has cemented his position as a prominent leader within the BJP. As the second Brahmin to hold the office of Maharashtra Chief Minister, after Shiv Sena’s Manohar Joshi, Fadnavis is known for his political acumen and resilience. A disciple of late Gangadhar Fadnavis, who was his political mentor, Fadnavis began his political career in 1989 with the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). After winning multiple assembly elections, including a comfortable victory in the recent state elections, Fadnavis continues to play a key role in Maharashtra’s political landscape.