Eknath Shinde Takes Oath As Maharashtra CM.

In a series of twists in the Maharashtra political crisis on Thursday, rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde was sworn in as the new CM. In contrast, BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis -- who was widely expected to take oath for the top post after the ouster of Uddhav Thackeray and his MVA government -- was sworn-in as the deputy CM.

On June 30, shortly after 7.30 pm, Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari administered the oath of office to them at Raj Bhavan in south Mumbai.

Shinde paid tribute to late Shiv Sena leaders Bal Thackeray and Anand Dighe. As he took the oath, his supporters shouted slogans hailing Thackeray and Dighe.

Senior leaders across the political spectrum congratulated new CM Eknath Shinde and deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis. PM Narendra Modi congratulated the leaders in separate tweets. At the same time, Amit Shah felicitated the duo and said that the new government would be dedicated to Maharashtra's development and public interest.

"Congratulations to the newly appointed chief minister of Maharashtra, Eknath Shinde, and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis for the future. I wish you do a good job in Maharashtra," Uddhav said in a tweet.