Maha shocker: Fadnavis back as Maha CM, Ajit Pawar new Dy CM

BJP's Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday returned as Maharashtra CM, propped by NCP's Ajit Pawar, who took oath as deputy chief minister, even as NCP chief Sharad Pawar said the decision to side with Fadnavis was his nephew's personal choice and not that of the party.

Not many had an inkling of the early morning swearing in ceremony held at the Raj Bhavan, which some called a "clandestine" affair, a far cry from Fadnavis' first such ceremony in 2014 in the packed Wankhede Stadium in presence of thousands of supporters.

The oath taking was held soon after the President's rule, imposed on November 12, was revoked. President Ram Nath Kovind signed the proclamation for revocation of the central rule and a gazette notification to this effect was issued at 5.47 am.

The swearing in ceremony came as a political shocker, hours after Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray emerged as the Sena-NCP-Congress' consensus candidate for the top post.

Sharad Pawar said it was his nephew Ajit Pawar's own decision, and not that of the party, to support the BJP to form the government.

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut accused Ajit Pawar of stabbing people of Maharashtra in the back by deciding to join hands with the BJP.

The month-long political impasse ended dramatically with Fadnavis returning as the CM.

Pawar had on Friday night said the new government would be led by Uddhav Thackeray. The three parties had even prepared a draft common minimum programme to guide the actions of the new government.

After the oath-taking ceremony, Sharad Pawar tweeted: "Ajit Pawar's decision to support the BJP to form the government is his personal decision and not that of the NCP. We place on record that we do not support or endorse his decision."