Fadnavis takes oath at BJP's Friday blockbuster

Mumbai: Atmosphere of joy and celebration prevailed at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai today where nearly 30,000 people gathered to witness the swearing-in of Devendra Fadnavis as the first BJP Chief Minister of Maharashtra.

The grand ceremony featured depiction of the history of the state, starting with King Shivaji, the most revered icon of Maharashtra, through hi-tech props and documentaries. BJP supporters who had travelled to Mumbai from every nook and corner of Maharashtra were present in large numbers.

Clad in a saffron sari, 74-years-old Asha Koynade, a resident of Parli in central Maharashtra, said she came to Mumbai to see Pankaja Munde taking the oath.
We have come so far to see our dear Pankaja." We felt proud to see her taking oath as a cabinet minister. We wished we could see (the late BJP leader) Gopinath Munde taking oath as the Chief Minister, but the fate had other plans," she said.
"We are all very happy that BJP has the maximum number of seats and Devendra Fadnavis has become the first BJP CM," she said, adding that about 5,000 people from Parli had come to attend the ceremony.
43-years-old Sulbha Muzumdar, a resident of Kolhapur, came to celebrate the party's victory and support Chandrakant Patil, who was also sworn in as a cabinet minister.
"We are a group of 150. We are happy that our party has finally come to power, "she said.
The massive inflow of crowds at the stadium prevented even celebrities from reaching their designated seats.
Yesteryear Marathi actor Ramesh Deo (85) and his actor son Ajinkya were seen sitting in the stand reserved for the media, instead of the VIP stand awaiting them.
Singer Anuradha Paudwal too was stuck at the entrance of the stadium as an enormous crowd queued up to enter the premises.