Devendra Fadnavis with PM Modi on stage after taking oath as BJP's first chief minister in Maharashtra
, 44, is Maharashtra's new chief minister. He took oath today along with nine ministers at a grand ceremony at Mumbai's Wankhede stadium, filled to capacity.
Among the new Maharashtra Cabinet ministers are Pankaja Munde, who drew an electric applause as she came up to take oath, and Maharashtra BJP veterans Vinod Tawde and Eknath Khadse.
Prime Minster Narendra Modi attended the function and was seated along with other VIPs on a separate stage. The invitee list of 30,000 included actors Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan and Aamir Khan and industrialists like Ratan Tata and the Ambani brothers.
Five people away from the PM sat Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, who arrived late and missed Mr Fadnavis' oath. As he walked to his seat, he stopped to greet the Prime Minister. They shook hands and exchanged a few words.
Mr Thackeray made a last-minute decision to attend the function after BJP president Amit Shah allegedly phoned him and requested his presence. The Shiv Sena had announced a boycott of the swearing-in after the BJP rejected the demand that its leaders be included in the small cabinet that took oath today.
"Uddhav coming is a big step...we urged him to attend the swearing in ceremony... Our talks are on and are in the right direction," Mr Fadnavis said this evening, addressing his first press conference as chief minister.
The BJP is in talks with the Shiv Sena to renew the 25-year alliance they snapped in September.
Mr Fadnavis, the BJP's first Maharashtra chief minister heads a minority government and has to prove his strength on the floor of the Assembly within 15 days.
The Shiv Sena - which has been out of power in Maharashtra for 15 years and fears major erosion in party base if it does participate in the government - has expressed its desire to provide that support in tones ranging from aggressive to coaxing; the BJP has so far only said that it hopes negotiations will come to fruition. It has reportedly made clear that it will entertain no pre-conditions for the support of its former ally.
The NCP has offered external support to the BJP, but the latter will be wary to accept or count on it.