Mumbai:Uddhav Thackeray was sworn in as Maharashtra’s new Chief Minister this evening at the sprawling Shivaji Park in Mumbai, where his father Bal Thackeray addressed his first Dussehra rally to announce the birth of the Shiv Sena in 1966. A statue of Chhattrapati Shivaji presided over the oath-taking of the first Thackeray to take office.
Uddhav Thackeray, in saffron silk kurta, bowed before the “Shivrajyabhishek” or a statue depicting the crowning of Chhatrapati Shivaji before taking oath in Marathi. His family – wife Rashmi Thackeray and son Aaditya – was on the grand fort-replica stage designed by Hindi film art director Nitin Desai.
As the newly-formed Maha Vikas Aghadi took office, six ministers — two each from the Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress — were sworn in by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari.
Several leaders from the Sena, NCP and Congress attended the anti-BJP show of strength. Industrialist Mukesh Ambani, his wife Nita Ambani and son Anant were also seated on stage.
Also present was Raj Thackeray, Uddhav Thackeray’s estranged cousin, invited by him personally last evening.
Former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who quit two days ago, also attended the oath.
So did Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar, who is tipped to be Deputy Chief Minister. This is his second oath ceremony in six days; on Saturday morning, he had stunned his party when TV screens flashed visuals of him taking oath along with the BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis. Four days after this shock turnabout, Ajit Pawar resigned – having failed to draw NCP MLAs to the BJP’s side – and returned to his party and family.
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