Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray was sworn-in as the chief minister of Maharashtra along with six Cabinet ministers (three from Congress, two from Shiv Sena and one from NCP).
Mumbai (Maharashtra): Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray was on Thursday sworn-in as the chief minister of Maharashtra by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari at a grand ceremony held at the Shivaji Park.
On the occasion, Nitin Raut, Chagan Bhujbal and Balasaheb Thorat from Congress; Eknath Shinde and Subhash Desai from Shiv Sena and Jayant Patil were inducted into Uddhav's Cabinet.
Uddhav's wife Rashmi Thackeray and son Aaditya witnessed the event.
Though there was news of NCP's Ajit Pawar, who cheated BJP, in the probable list of names to be a sworn in, sources said he declined the offer for now.
Uddhav is the first member from the Thackeray family to become the chief minister and the third Shiv Sena leader to hold the top post after Manohar Joshi and Narayan Rane. He is leading a government of the Maha Vikas Aghadi, an alliance of Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and Congress.
Former chief minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis took part in the swearing-in ceremony. However, Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi excused themselves and did not attend the event.
PM Modi has congratulated Uddhav on taking oath as the chief miniter of Maharashtra.
Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath, Kapil Sibbal, KTS Tulsi, MK Stalin, SK Shinde, Sanjay Raut, and Prithviraj Chavan, MNS leader and Uddhav's cousin Raj Thackeray were among several leaders who attended the ceremony.
On Tuesday, Thackeray had been unanimously elected as the leader of the tri-party alliance - Maha Vikas Aghadi.
It can be noted that Shiv Sena chose Shivaji Park for the ceremony as his father Bal Thackeray had founded the party in the same venue in 1966 during Dussehra rally.
The stage at the Shivaji Park was designed by Bollywood art director Nitin Desai.
As Uddhav Thackeray is not an MLA, he will have to contest election within six months from today and can retain his position only if he contests election. He is likely to ask one of the MLAs to resign in order to contest. Sources claim that his son Aaditya Thackeray might give up his seat for Uddhav, who is likely to contest from Worli.
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