Devendra Fadnavis now Maharashtra CM with shortest tenure of just 3 days
Devendra Fadnavis is likely to go down in the annals of Maharashtra history as the Chief Minister with the shortest second tenure, a mere three days. The BJP-led government helmed by Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar as his deputy was sworn in on Saturday morning
Ajit Pawar finally backed out of the alliance on Tuesday, after the Supreme Court ordered a floor test on Wednesday; the rest of his party MLAs had re-grouped under his uncle NCP chief Sharad Pawar, a day earlier. “After the court verdict came this morning, Ajit Pawar met me and told me that for some reason he cannot continue in this government and he resigned. After his resignation we do not have the numbers any more..We will be an efficient opposition, ’’ Fadnavis said in a media briefing before he headed to the Raj Bhavan to tender his resignation. “There has been no other government with such a short tenure in Maharashtra. In fact there has been no other instance where the Supreme Court has had to intervene with guidelines on how to conduct a floor test (in the state). We have so far had stable governments though Chief Ministers have been changed as per party diktats, ’ said Anant Kalse, former principal secretary of the Maharashtra Legislature Secretariat.
The Congress’ caretaker CM, P K Sawant served in the top job only for nine days in 1964, post the death of the incumbent CM Marotrao Kannamwar.
The last time Maharashtra witnessed a similar potboiler was in 1978, and that too involved Sharad Pawar. “In 1978, Sharad Pawar split the Congress to form the government with the Janata Party. But, even that government lasted two years, ’’ said Prakash Pawar, a political analyst.
Unlike his nephew, Sharad Pawar, proved his majority on the floor of the house in July 1978 to emerge as the state’s youngest Chief Minister. The Progressive Democratic Front government led by him lasted until February 1980.