Uddhav Thackeray takes oath as Maharashtra CM, needs to contest election to retain seat
Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray took oath to become the 19th chief minister of Maharashtra, while six MLAs were sworn-in as Cabinet ministers
FollowMumbai: Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday evening took oath as chief minister of Maharashtra at a ceremony at the sprawling Shivaji Park in Mumbai. Six MLAs were also sworn-in as ministers of the new coalition government.
Uddhav Thackeray, 59, became the third Sena leader after Manohar Joshi and Narayan Rane to occupy the top post. Thackeray took over as chief minister over a month after the results of the Maharashtra Assembly elections were declared on October 24. Uddhav is the first member of the Thackeray family to assume the chief minister's post.
6 MLAs took oath as Cabinet ministers with Uddhav as their chief. Eknath Shinde and Shubash Desai from Shiv Sena, Nitin Raut, Chhagan Bujbal and Balasaheb Thorat from Congress and Jayant Patil from NCP were sworn-in as Cabinet ministers.
Uddhav will have to contest an election within six months from today to retain his post as CM as he is not an MLA yet. This would mean that one of the MLAs will have to resign from the post. Speculation is rife that Aaditya Thackeray will be the one to resign from his post as Worli MLA to make way for his father.
The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Uddhav’s cousin and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, DMK chief MK Stalin and party leader TR Baalu. Congress leader Ahmed Patel, NCP leader Praful Patel, and BJP leader and former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and the Ambanis too attended the ceremony. However, the Gandhi family wasn’t present for the ceremony, but Rahul Gandhi sent in his best wishes through a letter to Uddhav Thackeray.
Sea of supporters flocked the Shivaji Park to witness the swearing-in ceremony.
Uddhav Thackeray will hold the first Cabinet meeting of the new alliance government around 8pm. The development was confirmed by NCP leader Jayant Patil at a press conference of the 'Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi'. "The first Cabinet meeting of our government will be held later today," said Patil.
The Speaker of Maharashtra Assembly is likely to be sworn-in on November 30.
