Mumbai, November 23: In a strange turn of events, Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday took oath as Chief Minister of Maharashtra for the second time. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar was also sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Both leaders were administered by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari at Raj Bhawan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Fadnavis and Pawar. Maharashtra Government Formation: Consider 'Pedhas' Being Ordered, Says Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut.

The shocking development came amid talks between the NCP, the Shiv Sena and the Congress for government formation in the state. On Friday, leaders of the three parties held a crucial meeting to finalise the Common Minimum Programme (CMP). Following the meeting, NCP chief Sharad Pawar said that a consensus had evolved on Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray's name for the top post. President's Rule in Maharashtra: Congress List Four 'Grave Violations'.

"People had given us a clear mandate, but our ally Shiv Sena tried to go with other parties after results. As a result, President's rule was imposed. Maharashtra needed a stable government, not a 'khichdi sarkar'," Fadnavis told news agency ANI after taking oath as the Chief Minister. NCP leader Ajit Pawar said that farmers were facing issues due to no government in the state. "So we decided to form a stable government," he said.

Devendra Fadnavis Takes Oath as Maharashtra CM:

PM Narendra Modi in a tweet said that Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar will work "diligently" for Maharashtra. "Congratulations to Devendra Fadnavis ji and Ajit Pawar ji on taking oath as the CM and Deputy CM of Maharashtra respectively. I am confident they will work diligently for the bright future of Maharashtra (sic)," he tweeted. Talks were underway between the Shiv Sena, the NCP and the Congress to form government in the state.

The proposed 'Maha Vikas Aghadi' comprising the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress was likely to hold a press conference today where the final details were supposed to be shared with the media.

In the 288-member assembly, the BJP emerged as the single largest party winning 105 seats, and along with its longtime ally, Shiv Sena was in a comfortable position to form a government. BJP's oldest ally Shiv Sena, however, with 56 legislators refused to join the BJP in forming a government, insisting on rotational chief ministership. The Shiv Sena has since been trying to form a government with the help of the NCP and Congress, which had won 54 and 44 seats respectively.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 23, 2019 08:17 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).