Eknath Shinde pays tribute to Bal Thackeray, changes his Twitter display photo

Eknath Shinde, the new Maharashtra chief minister, changed the profile photo of his Twitter account to one of Bal Thackeray on Friday. In the photo, Shinde is seen kneeling near Bal Thackeray in his latest Twitter display photo, indicating his loyalty to his guru. Shinde altered his Twitter profile photo soon after taking the oath of office as Maharashtra chief minister. 

Shinde was sworn in as the next Maharashtra chief minister in a lavish event, while BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis was sworn in as his deputy. Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari delivered the oath to him at the Raj Bhavan in Mumbai. Before assuming the oath of office as the new Maharashtra Chief Minister, Eknath Shinde stated that he decided to destabilise the MVA administration because he was devoted to "Bal Thackeray's Hindutva." "The choice we made is dedicated to Balasaheb's Hindutva and development activities in the constituencies of our MLAs. We have 50 MLAs," Shinde remarked.

Also Read | Next Maha battle: Who controls the Shiv Sena?

Devendra Fadnavis, the former chief minister of Maharashtra from 2014 to 2019, named Eknath Shinde as the next chief minister at a joint news conference in Mumbai on Thursday. Fadnavis also stated during the news conference that he will not be joining the cabinet. Home Minister Amit Shah subsequently tweeted that Fadnavis has chosen to join the new Maharashtra administration in the interest of the state's people after hearing from BJP head JP Nadda and congratulated him on his choice.

Shinde, a four-time MLA, began his oath-taking ceremony by paying respect to late Shiv Sena stalwarts Bal Thackeray and Anand Dighe, his political mentor in Thane district.
As he completed taking the oath, his followers sang chants in praise of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Sena founder Bal Thackeray, and Dighe.

Also Read | Eknath Shinde takes oath as Maharashtra CM, Fadnavis his deputy

Shrikant Shinde, the Lok Sabha MP from Kalyan in Thane district, is residing with the dissident Shiv Sena MLAs in Goa, where they landed from Guwahati on Wednesday night, nine days after the mutiny that brought down the MVA administration. Some Shinde followers held a motorcycle rally in Thane, shouting chants in favour of their leader, who is recognised as a mass leader, frequently mixing with his voters and listening to their complaints, in addition to conducting regular meetings with local Sena workers and bureaucrats.

Also Read: Know Eknath Shinde, new Maharashtra's CM's net worth, property, cars and more
(With PTI Inputs)

• BJP
• Bal Thackeray
• Eknath Shinde
• Shiv Sena
• Twitter
• Bhagat Singh Koshyari
• Devendra Fadnavis