'Next time it won't be at dawn': Fadnavis, one year on from oath-taking with Ajit Pawar

Addressing media in Aurangabad on Monday evening, former Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis said that his next oath-taking will not be at dawn and every journalist will be invited. Fadnavis was asked about his memorable but short-lived oath-taking with NCP's Ajit Pawar exactly a year ago. He also quipped that he would write about what unfolded in those 80 hours in his book. His comments also come after Union Minister Raosaheb Danve on Monday asserted that the BJP will form a government in Maharashtra in the next two to three months "for which it has made preparations." 

Fadnavis said, "If the present government in the state collapses, the oath ceremony will not take place at dawn. But such incidents need not be remembered."

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On November 23, 2019, in a massive political turn in Maharashtra, BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis took oath as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra and NCP leader Ajit Pawar was sworn in as his Deputy CM. Both were sworn-in in the presence of Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari at Raj Bhawan in the wee hours of November 23. While Ajit Pawar had claimed that he has the support of NCP MLAs, within 80 hours, NCP MLAs including Ajit Pawar returned back to the party's fold, and later, Uddhav Thackeray was sworn-in as the CM, with Congress and NCP stitching the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance with Shiv Sena. 

MASSIVE: Devendra Fadnavis Takes Oath As CM, Ajit Pawar As Deputy CM In Maharashtra

Maha-yuti breaks

Almost a month after the Mahayuti was awarded the mandate during the Maharashtra Assembly polls, the state government was not formed and President's rule was imposed. Sena supremo Uddhav Thackeray insisted on a 50-50 sharing of the Chief Minister's post for 2.5 years but Fadnavis refused to these demands. This resulted in the break up of the BJP-Shiv Sena's 'Mahyuti' of 35 years. Shiv Sena then allied with the NCP-Congress to form a new alliance - 'Maha Vikas Aghadi'. The Mahayuti alliance had swept Maharashtra on October 24, winning a combined tally of 161 (BJP- 105, Sena -56). The NCP-Congress won 98 seats (NCP- 54, Congress- 44). The halfway mark in 144 in the 288 seat-Assembly.

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