For chief protocol officer and additional chief secretary Manisha Mhaiskar, the swearing-in ceremony of CM Devendra Fadnavis and deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar was the biggest ever challenge in the recent past in view of the presence of dignitaries like the PM, seven Union ministers, as many CMs of NDA-governed states and governor C P Radhakrishnan.
When Mahayuti secured the absolute majority, it was clear the new CM would prefer to have the event on an open ground to accommodate a large number of people since that was not possible on Raj Bhavan premises. The first choice was the historic Shivaji Park. But, it was ruled out owing to Mahaparinirvan Day on Dec 6, when lakhs gather to pay their respects to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar.
Then, Azad Maidan was picked. Sixty bureaucrats were roped in to escort Union ministers and CMs from the airport to the ground and 40 deputy secretary-level officers were deployed to receive and escort important people to their seats. At Azad Maidan, several blocks were marked for industrialists, film stars, MPs and legislators. In the VIP block, names were written on the seats to prevent confusion.
After the BJP legislature party meeting, when it was clear that Fadnavis would be the new CM, many officials were pressed into service to despatch and deliver invitation cards. There were special plans for crowd management. While the event lasted less than 30 minutes, people were asked to reach at least 2 hours in advance. Around 4.30pm, more than 50,000 people had already gathered. After the event was over, the area was cleared in less than an hour by a team led by special police commissioner Deven Bharti. Mhaiskar said it was teamwork and bureaucrats and police personnel worked round the clock.
Introspect, CM tells Pawar
Maharashtra is seeing a different kind of war between veteran politician Sharad Pawar and newly elected CM Devendra Fadnavis. In the LS polls, Mahayuti suffered a massive debacle, while in the assembly polls, it was a humiliating defeat for MVA.
Pawar raised some doubts over assembly poll results. He said Congress got 80 lakh votes but won only 15 seats, Sena 79 lakh votes and 57 seats, NCP (SP) 72 lakh votes and 10 seats, and NCP 58 lakh votes and 41 seats. He said the results were shocking.
In his rebuttal, Fadnavis said as a very senior politician, Pawar should not misled the people. He said in the LS polls, BJP polled 1.5 crore votes but won only nine seats. Congress secured 96 lakh votes and won 13 seats and NCP (SP) 58 lakh votes and eight seats. He asked Pawar to accept defeat, saying it’s time for introspection.
For chief protocol officer and additional chief secretary Manisha Mhaiskar, the swearing-in ceremony of CM Devendra Fadnavis and deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar was the biggest ever challenge in the recent past in view of the presence of dignitaries like the PM, seven Union ministers, as many CMs of NDA-governed states and governor C P Radhakrishnan.
When Mahayuti secured the absolute majority, it was clear the new CM would prefer to have the event on an open ground to accommodate a large number of people since that was not possible on Raj Bhavan premises. The first choice was the historic Shivaji Park. But, it was ruled out owing to Mahaparinirvan Day on Dec 6, when lakhs gather to pay their respects to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar.
Then, Azad Maidan was picked. Sixty bureaucrats were roped in to escort Union ministers and CMs from the airport to the ground and 40 deputy secretary-level officers were deployed to receive and escort important people to their seats. At Azad Maidan, several blocks were marked for industrialists, film stars, MPs and legislators. In the VIP block, names were written on the seats to prevent confusion.
After the BJP legislature party meeting, when it was clear that Fadnavis would be the new CM, many officials were pressed into service to despatch and deliver invitation cards. There were special plans for crowd management. While the event lasted less than 30 minutes, people were asked to reach at least 2 hours in advance. Around 4.30pm, more than 50,000 people had already gathered. After the event was over, the area was cleared in less than an hour by a team led by special police commissioner Deven Bharti. Mhaiskar said it was teamwork and bureaucrats and police personnel worked round the clock.
Introspect, CM tells Pawar
Maharashtra is seeing a different kind of war between veteran politician Sharad Pawar and newly elected CM Devendra Fadnavis. In the LS polls, Mahayuti suffered a massive debacle, while in the assembly polls, it was a humiliating defeat for MVA.
Pawar raised some doubts over assembly poll results. He said Congress got 80 lakh votes but won only 15 seats, Sena 79 lakh votes and 57 seats, NCP (SP) 72 lakh votes and 10 seats, and NCP 58 lakh votes and 41 seats. He said the results were shocking.
In his rebuttal, Fadnavis said as a very senior politician, Pawar should not misled the people. He said in the LS polls, BJP polled 1.5 crore votes but won only nine seats. Congress secured 96 lakh votes and won 13 seats and NCP (SP) 58 lakh votes and eight seats. He asked Pawar to accept defeat, saying it’s time for introspection.
