Mumbai: Devendra Fadnavis was sworn-in as the chief minister of the first BJP government of Maharashtra at a gala public function here Friday.
Maharashtra Governor C.V. Rao administered the oath of office and secrecy to Fadnavis, 44, at a ceremony in Wankhede Stadium witnessed by over 30,000 people.
Present on the occasion were Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah, business tycoons, film personalities, sportspersons and celebrities.
Fadnavis is Maharashtra's youngest chief minister after Sharad Pawar, who was 38 when he took charge in 1978, and the second Brahmin to preside over the state after the Shiv Sena's Manohar Joshi.
Fadnavis, who took to politics when he was barely 22 years old, pledged to provide good governance -- a la Modi.
Hailing from Nagpur, the 1970-born Fadnavis has strong Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) connections that helped him overcome the challenge to his leadership, including by mentor and central minister Nitin Gadkari.
This is for only the second time in the state that a non-Congress government has assumed office.
The Shiv Sena and the BJP ran a coalition government led by Manohar Joshi and later Narayan Rane, both from the Sena, in 1995-99.
The BJP is the single largest party in the 288-seat house with 122 legislators, short of the half way mark needed for a legislative majority.
One legislator, G.M. Rathod, died of heart attack Monday, reducing its strength to 121.
The BJP has the support of the Rashtriya Samaj Paksha's sole legislator and the Shiv Sena as well as the unconditional backing of the Nationalist Congress Party.
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