Maharashtra Happy That 'Balasaheb Thackeray's Shiv Sainik' Has Become CM: Shinde | Top 10 Updates

Backed by BJP, Eknath Shinde became the Chief Minister of Maharashtra on Thursday with the support of a breakaway faction of Shiv Sena MLAs & Independents. Know top 10 developments pertaining to it.

New Delhi: Backed by the Bharatiya Janata Party, Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde on Thursday took oath as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra with the support of a breakaway faction of Shiv Sena MLAs and Independents. After taking the oath in Mumbai, Shinde returned to Goa at midnight to meet his colleagues who had supported him in rebelling against Sen chief Uddhav Thackeray. Following a series of political developments, Shinde was sworn in as Maharashtra CM while former CM and BJP leader Devendra Fadanavis took oath as his deputy.

Top 10 Developments:

• Eknath Shinde on Friday said that besides his colleagues in the Assembly, Maharashtra is happy that "Balasaheb Thackeray's Shiv Sainik" has become the chief minister. He was interacting with reporters at the Goa Airport when he said that Maharashtra could see this day because of his 50 MLAs. "My colleagues and entire Maharashtra is happy that Balasaheb Thackeray's Shiv Sainik has become the chief minister of the state," Shinde commented, as quoted by PTI.
  
  


• NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Thursday claimed that former CM Devendra Fadnavis did not appear to be happy with accepting the deputy chief minister's post in Eknath Shinde's government. "I think Fadnavis has not accepted the number two position happily. His facial expression said it all," Pawar told reporters in Pune, as quoted by PTI.
  
  "(But) He is from Nagpur and he has worked as a `swayamsevak' (with the RSS) and there, when an order comes, it has to be followed," the NCP chief said, adding that Fadnavis might have accepted a junior position due to this `sanskar' (values).
  
  


• According to Sharad Pawar, the Eknath Shinde faction, that was camping in Guwahati after rebelling against the Maha Vikash Aghadi (MVA) government, had not expected that their leader would become anything more than a deputy CM. "But after the BJP's central leadership gave the orders, chief minister's post was given to Shinde. Nobody had an inkling about it. I think Shinde himself had no idea. The second surprise, which I do not think is a surprise really, is that Devendra Fadnavis, who worked as CM for five years and then opposition leader, had to take the post of Deputy CM following directions from the central leadership," Pawar claimed.
  
  


• Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray extended best wishes to his successor Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde and Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis in a tweet. “Best wishes to newly appointed Chief minister @mieknathshinde ji and Deputy Chief minister @Dev_Fadnavis ji. I wish you do a good job for Maharashtra,” Thackeray tweeted in Marathi.
  
  
  


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  CM Eknath Shinde on Thursday chaired his first cabinet meeting after taking over the top post. It was decided that a two-day special session of the Maharashtra legislature will be held from July 2. On the first day of the session, election to the post of Assembly speaker will be held, PTI reported officials as informing.

  
  


• Arriving in Goa, the newly sworn-in Chief Minister on Friday said that his government will do the works that are expected from them by the people of Maharashtra. He said his government will work to deliver justice to every section of society, adding that "we will also take ahead the vision of Balasaheb Thackeray."
  
  


• Regarding cabinet expansion, Eknath Shinde maintained that the future strategy would be discussed in the meeting with his colleagues.
  
  


• Fadnavis on Thursday made a stunning announcement that rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde would be sworn in as the new Maharashtra Chief Minister after the collapse of the Uddhav Thackery government. He said he himself would not be part of the ministry. Later. BJP chief JP Nadda said that Fadnavis would be part of the government and the former CM eventually took oath as Shinde's deputy.


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  The Congress has dubbed the new Maharashtra government led by the BJP and Shiv Sena dissidents as "ED Sarkar", a reference to the first names of chief minister Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis. "Introducing the new ED Sarkar. #Maharastra," tweeted Congress' in-charge of media and publicity Pawan Khera.

  
  
  

  
  
  The MVA alliance partners Congress and NCP have accused the BJP government of using unethical means including the misuse of probe agencies like Enforcement Directorate and CBI in toppling the Uddhav Thackeray-led government in the state.

  
  


• On the first day of the special session of the Maharashtra legislature, a trust vote is expected to be held, though there is no official communication in this regard. Meanwhile, the Chief Minister has called for expediting the Metro and Samruddhi expressway projects.

Shinde was camping in a Guwahati hotel along with rebel MLAs for more than a week after rebelling against Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena leadership. The BJP has claimed it has the support of 170 MLAs, including those from the Shinde faction, in a House of 288.

(With Agency Inputs)