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Maharashtra: PM Modi To Preside Over Mahayuti Swearing-In Ceremony As Devendra Fadnavis Gears Up For Third Stint As CM

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Azad Maidan in Mumbai, just across from the BMC headquarters, is set to witness an electrifying gathering this evening as Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives to preside over the swearing-in of the newly elected BJP-led Mahayuti government in Maharashtra.

The event, slated for 5:30 pm, will mark a significant political moment, with only Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and two deputy chief ministers taking their oaths at this stage. The event promises to be grand and is expected to host around 2,000 VVIPs and an estimated 40,000 BJP supporters—a testament to the political clout and support Fadnavis commands. Full details regarding the cabinet composition and portfolio assignments are expected to be finalized later.

Final Cabinet

While Fadnavis prepares to step into the role of chief minister for the third time, the final cabinet blueprint remains uncertain. Earlier on Wednesday morning, the political drama in Maharashtra, spanning over 11 days, reached its conclusion with the BJP leadership naming Devendra Fadnavis as its choice for Chief Minister. The announcement came after an intense period of speculation following the Mahayuti alliance’s decisive victory in the state assembly elections held on November 20. The air was thick with anticipation as party leaders, stakeholders, and even the public waited for clarity on who would lead India’s financial capital into its next chapter.

In his address at the legislature party meeting, Fadnavis, who has become synonymous with the BJP’s successful runs in Maharashtra, expressed heartfelt gratitude. He credited the alliance’s success to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and underscored the slogans that have now become rallying cries: “Ek Hai To Safe Hai” and “Modi Hai To Mumkin Hai.” These words encapsulate the confidence and unity the party aims at projecting since its landslide victory.

“I bow before the people for giving us such a massive mandate,” Fadnavis said, acknowledging the people’s faith that has paved his way to the Chief Minister’s seat. The process leading up to this moment involved a meeting of the party’s core committee, where key figures such as state BJP unit chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule, senior leaders like Raosaheb Danve, and even former Chief Ministers like Ashok Chavan deliberated on the final decision.

In attendance were BJP stalwarts Sudhir Mungantiwar, Pankaja Munde, and Ashish Shelar, as well as central observers like Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and ex-CM of Gujarat, Vijay Rupani. The proposal for Fadnavis’ nomination was put forward by Rupani and unanimously approved by all senior members, reinforcing his position as the party’s top pick. Following the legislative announcement, Fadnavis met with Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan at Raj Bhavan. The Governor formally invited him to form the next government.

Addressing the press afterward, Fadnavis was succinct and strategic. “I have full faith that he will stand by us… We will fulfill the promises made to the people of Maharashtra,” he asserted. The role of governance, he emphasized, would be collective, with every decision taken by a consensus-driven leadership structure. A defining moment came when Fadnavis addressed Eknath Shinde, whose faction of Shiv Sena played a critical role in shaping the current political landscape.

“I met Eknath Shinde yesterday and told him that it is the wish of both the Shiv Sena and Mahayuti members that he should be with us in this government. I have full faith that he will be with us,” Fadnavis said, hinting at an inclusive governance model that blends the diverse strands of the alliance.

Cheeky Banter

Adding a note of levity, a cheeky exchange at Raj Bhavan sparked laughter. When asked about the oath-taking ceremony, Shinde joked about waiting until evening, to which Ajit Pawar playfully responded, “I will take it and not wait.” To this, Shinde quipped that Ajit Pawar has experience in taking an oath both in the morning and evening. The remark was a nod to their prior, dramatic stint in 2019, when the duo had briefly assumed office before the alliance crumbled within hours. The back-and-forth was a reminder of Maharashtra’s turbulent political history and the seasoned wits of its players.

Third Term

Fadnavis’ journey has been marked by twists and turns. In 2014, at age 44, he made history as Maharashtra’s Chief Minister, being the second youngest to do so after Sharad Pawar. That tenure, though significant, ended in a rift with the Shiv Sena in 2019 over a power-sharing dispute, leading to a brief, 80-hour government that collapsed when Ajit Pawar rejoined the NCP. In 2022, after Eknath Shinde’s rebellion brought down the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, Fadnavis was expected to take over the CM’s post but settled for the Deputy Chief Minister role under Shinde.

This third term, therefore, represents a moment of redemption and a culmination of years of political maneuvering. The BJP’s resounding success in the elections—132 out of 149 seats contested—underscored the strong support from the RSS and the organizational machinery that has propelled Fadnavis into the state’s top seat once again. His leadership is expected to bring continuity, stability, and an ambitious agenda aimed at consolidating the BJP’s stronghold and fulfilling the promises made to the electorate.

As the countdown to the swearing-in ceremony begins, the question looms: can Devendra Fadnavis use this third term to transform his political aspirations into a legacy of effective governance? The state watches with bated breath, ready for the next chapter in Maharashtra’s political saga.

Maharashtra

Municipal Commissioner directed to complete work on Bhandup Water Purification Project to ensure safe water supply to Mumbai

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The state-of-the-art 2,000 million litres per day (MLPD) water treatment plant to be set up at the Bhandup Complex will significantly enhance the efficiency, transparency and resilience of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region’s water supply system. The project will help Mumbaikars get better quality, safe and sustainable drinking water as per national and international standards. Considering the growing population of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, the pace of urbanisation, the growth of the industrial and commercial sector, as well as the increasing demand for water in the future, it is a key infrastructure project for Mumbai’s long-term water security. Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide has directed that all necessary steps be taken to expedite all civil, structural, electrical, mechanical and process engineering works related to this water treatment project and complete the project ahead of schedule. A state-of-the-art Water Treatment Plant (WTP) with a capacity of 2,000 million litres per day (MLD) is being set up by the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) at Bhandup Complex. The water treatment project is expected to be completed by July 2028. Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide visited the site of the water treatment project today (June 17, 2026) and inspected it. He also reviewed the progress.

Additional Municipal Commissioner (Project) Abhijit Bangar, Deputy Commissioner (Municipal Commissioner’s Office) Prashant Gaikwad, Deputy Commissioner (Special Engineering) Parshottam Malwade, Deputy Commissioner (Engineering) Shri. Shashank Bhoor, Chief Engineer (Water Supply Project) Chandrakant Choudhary, Chief Engineer (Mumbai Sewerage Project) Ashok Mengade, Chief Engineer (Bridges) Rajesh Mulla along with concerned engineers and officers were present on the occasion. There are two main systems for supplying water to Mumbai. From one of them, through the Tansa-Vitarna system, water from Tansa, Modak Sagar, Madhya Vitrna and Upper Vitrna dams is brought to the Bhandup Complex by gravity through water channels. This water is purified at the water purification centre in the Bhandup Complex. About 2500 million litres of water is supplied to the people of Mumbai daily through water reservoirs located at various locations. The 1910 million litres per day water purification project in the Bhandup Complex was built about 43 years ago. As the project has become structurally weak, a new water treatment project is being set up with a capacity of 2,000 million litres per day (MLD). The new water treatment project will process 2,000 million litres per day (MLD) of water. This water treatment project is crucial to increasing the capacity of the Bhandup Complex, which supplies water to the western and eastern suburbs of Mumbai.

Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide said that the new water treatment project on 7.4 hectares of land in the Bhandup Complex will replace the existing project, which is the largest in Asia. It will help provide clean water to Mumbai. Its main objective is to meet the growing demand for water and replace the old project, which has reached the end of its life. Currently, soil testing, excavation, site clearance, relocation of power lines, tree planting, etc. are in full swing. Along with the construction works, mechanical, electrical and instrumentation work has also been started in parallel. The project works should be completed expeditiously by making additional manpower and machinery available. Instructions have been given to plan for excavation, radar transportation. Overall, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation is committed to bridging the gap between the demand and supply of water for Mumbaikars. Bhandup Sewage Treatment Plant to be functional by October 2026.

The work of the 215 million litres per day (MLD) capacity sewage treatment plant project in Bhandup is in the final stages. Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide inspected the work today (June 17, 2026). Bhide directed that the project be fully implemented by October 2026.

In view of environmental protection in Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation is setting up sewage treatment plants at a total of 7 locations. Under this, the work of Sewage Treatment Plant project is underway in Bhandup. Under this, the construction work of Primary Treatment Unit, Primary Clarifier, Continuous Sequencing Batch Reactor Tank, Air Blower Building and Digesters etc. has been completed. Mrs. Bhide inspected all the works and took detailed information.

Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide said that the state-of-the-art Sewage Treatment Plant with a capacity of 215 million litres per day in Bhandup will be an important milestone for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

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Maharashtra

Eknath Shinde’s Operation Tiger was successful… Uddhav Thackeray’s rebellion in Shiv Sena UBT, Sanjay Raut is angry

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Mumbai: Operation Tiger has been successful. Shinde Sena has succeeded in forcing 6 MPs of Shiv Sena UBT to form another group, after which the rebellion has started again in UBT. The independent group has also been approved by the Lok Sabha Speaker. Now these 6 MPs can soon merge with Shiv Sena Shinde Party. After Operation Gaigar, Uddhav Thackeray group MP Sanjay Raut addressed a press conference and said that despite what Uddhav Thackeray did not do for these MPs, these people have acted dishonestly. This is dishonest. It is said that the rebel MPs are camped in Delhi and will merge with the Shinde group in the next two days. The operation in the state has been going on for the past several days and in June, a meeting of the India Alliance was also held in Delhi. In this meeting, Home Minister Amit Shah gave the green signal to Operation Tiger. The rebel MPs of the Thackeray group have been accommodated in a five-star hotel in Delhi. On Sunday, Uddhav Thackeray also held a meeting of his MPs in which five MPs attended the online meeting, due to which no one suspected them. This is the second biggest split in the Shiv Sena. After the rebellion of the Shiv Sena MPs, the Shiv Sena has become completely weakened. These rebel MPs include Sanjay Deshmukh, Ayut Mahal, Sanjay Jadhav, Parbhani, Sanjay Dina Patel, Mumbai, Nagesh Patil, Hingoli, Amarraje, Nimbalkar, Dhara Shiv. There is resentment in Shiv Sena after the rebellion of these MPs. Sanjay Raut is angry with them. He says that Uddhav Thackeray did so much for them but these people became dishonest.

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Maharashtra

Muslim students deprived of government schemes… Only Hindu candidates are accepted for drone pilot training scheme: Raees Sheikh

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Mumbai: Raising the issue of Muslim youth and students being deprived of the government’s ‘Amrit’ institute schemes, Samajwadi Party MLA from Bhiwandi East Raees Sheikh has said that applications are being accepted for the drone pilot training programme of the institute run by the state government’s Other Backward Classes Welfare Department, while online applications from Muslim candidates are not being accepted. In his letter to Minister Atal Seo and the Chief Executive Officer of Maharashtra Research, Advancement and Training (AMRUT) Institute, MLA Raees Sheikh said that the Amrit Institute has invited applications till June 30 for drone pilot training which is aimed at candidates from Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) of the open category. “However, when applicants try to fill the online form, they are required to provide information about their religion and caste. The portal offers caste options only for Hindu communities, which prevents Muslim applicants from successfully submitting their applications.” Sheikh said he had received several complaints regarding this issue. Pointing out that the Amrit Institute aims to serve the economically weaker sections in the open category, he said that as an autonomous government institution, the founding government resolution (August 22, 2019) of Amrit does not mention any specific religion. It aims to work for different communities in the open category. Therefore, restricting applications in this manner is against the rules, he claimed. The Maharashtra government has set up several institutions for different social groups, including Barati, Aarti, Sarathi, Mahajyoti, Marti, and Amrit. While each institution may focus on a specific target group, it can be limited to a certain extent. They also provide training opportunities to and benefits to other communities. Sheikh added that unemployment is currently a major concern for youth of all castes and religions across the state. He said, “The Amritsar should not interpret the rules in such a way that Muslim youth are deprived of skilling opportunities. Minister Atul Sivaji, who heads the Other Backward Bahujan Welfare Department, should ensure that Muslim youth are not excluded from these training programmes.”

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