Maharashtra Opposition MLAs Skip Oath Ceremony on Day 1 in Protest Citing Alleged 'EVM Misuse'

Mumbai: Two days after being sworn in as Maharashtra Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday took oath as an MLA along with deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, while the opposition MVA boycotted the ceremony alleging EVM misuse.  The opposition members refused to take oath as members of the of the newly-constituted legislative assembly on the first day of the three-day special session of the House, as they raised question marks over the ruling Mahayuti alliance's massive mandate and the trustworthiness of the electronic voting machines (EVMs). Fadnavis, Shinde and Pawar were administered the oath of office as MLAs by pro-tem assembly speaker Kalidas Kolambkar soon after the proceedings began at 11 am.

Ceremony and Oath-Taking Process

The swearing-in ceremony commenced at 11 am, presided over by pro-tem assembly speaker Kalidas Kolambkar. Before Fadnavis, Shinde, and Pawar, Chainsukh Sancheti, Jaykumar Rawal (both BJP), Manikrao Kokate (NCP), and Ashish Jaiswal (Shiv Sena) took their oaths, having been appointed to the pro-tem speaker’s panel by Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan.

Chief Minister Fadnavis, who represents the Nagpur South-West constituency, took the oath for the sixth time, marking his long-standing presence in Maharashtra’s political landscape since first being elected in 1999. The moment he was called, members of the treasury benches responded with thumping desks, chanting slogans like 'Jai Shri Ram' and 'Jai Bhavani, Jai Shivaji'.

Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde also received a warm reception, complete with similar desk-thumping and slogans, while Ajit Pawar, clad in a traditional red 'pheta' with a golden border, was welcomed by chants of 'Ekach Dada, Ajit Dada'. Pawar, representing Baramati, has been an MLA since 1991.

MVA Boycott and Allegations

The opposition MVA – consisting of Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, and NCP (SP) – chose not to participate in the swearing-in process on the first day of the three-day special session. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray expressed the coalition’s position, highlighting doubts among the public about the authenticity of the election results. “When a government comes to power with such a thumping majority, there are celebrations, but a question arises whether the mandate was given by the people or through the manipulation of EVMs and the Election Commission of India,” Thackeray stated.

He also pointed to recent unrest in Markadwadi village, Malshiras constituency, where villagers were calling for a mock poll using ballot papers and were met with curfews and arrests. Thackeray added that the boycott was a response to the prevailing skepticism among the populace.

Diverse Oath-Taking Traditions

Among the MLAs sworn in were veteran politicians like former assembly speakers Dilip Walse-Patil and Rahul Narwekar, as well as senior leaders Chhagan Bhujbal and Abu Asim Azmi from the Samajwadi Party. BJP leader Girish Mahajan took the oath in Sanskrit, noting this was his seventh time. NCP’s Hasan Mushrif began his oath with an invocation to Allah, while other NCP members wore pink phetas as part of a symbolic gesture.

Ajit Pawar’s pink jacket during the campaign was a topic of conversation, seen as an attempt to connect with female voters. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena MLAs donned saffron phetas, representing their party’s distinctive identity.

Election Results 

The November 20 assembly elections were decisive for the ruling Mahayuti alliance, comprising the BJP, Shinde’s Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar’s NCP. This alliance secured a formidable 230 seats out of 288, with the BJP winning 132 seats, Shiv Sena claiming 57, and the NCP capturing 41. In contrast, the MVA could only secure 46 seats: Shiv Sena (UBT) with 20, Congress with 16, and NCP (SP) with 10.

(With PTI Inputs)