Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday assured that he would extend all possible cooperation to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and “working as a team”.

“I will extend all possible cooperation to the chief minister. We will work as a team,” Shinde was quoted as saying by PTI, after he and Ajit Pawar were sworn in as deputy CMs in the new Fadnavis-led cabinet.

Playing on the acronyms CM (chief minister) and DCM (deputy chief minister), Shinde said he worked like a “common man” and would now dedicate himself “to the common man”.

End a three day suspenseShinde agreed to become deputy chief minister in Fadnavis’s cabinet. The Shiv Sena leader, who held the post of CM from 2022 to 2024 with Fadnavis as his deputy in these two years, had been reluctant to confirm his cabinet post.

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According to an HT report, the BJP did not accede to his demands for the home portfolio as deputy CM and the post of Assembly Speaker for his legislature party.

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Devendra Fadnavis takes oath as CM for third time

Devendra Fadnavis was sworn in as Maharashtra Chief Minister at a prestigious event led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan.

The 54-year-old leader also became the first deputy CM of the state to become CM.

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Among those present at the ceremony were Union Ministers Amit Shah, JP Nadda, Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari and Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Chief ministers of various NDA-ruled states were also present, including Yogi Adityanath, Nitish Kumar, Himanta Biswa Sarma, Mohan Yadav and Pramod Sawant.

Also present were actors Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Ranbir Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit, cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar and industrialist Mukesh Ambani.

After the event, Prime Minister Modi congratulated Fadnavis, Shinde and Ajit Pawar, saying, “Congratulations to Shri Devendra Fadnavis Ji on taking oath as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Congratulations to Shri Eknath Shinde Ji and Shri Ajit Pawar Ji for taking oath as Deputy Chief. Ministers of State.

“This team is a blend of experience and dynamism, and it is due to the collective efforts of this team that Mahayuti secured a historic mandate in Maharashtra. This team will do its utmost to fulfill the aspirations of the people of the state and ensure good governance. I assure all possible support from the Center to promote the development of Maharashtra,” he added.

(With contributions from the agency)