New Delhi: The pivotal political moment has arrived. And the stage is all set for the swearing-in ceremony of Maharashtra’s new chief minister today at 5 pm in Mumbai. The venue is Azad Maidan, which will look like a fortress, with more than 4,000 police personnel deployed across the massive site. Security arrangements are in place to ensure that the event goes off seamlessly.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend the grand function, accompanied by a huge number of supporters and karyakartas from the Mahayuti allies, including the BJP, Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar’s NCP. Union home minister Amit Shah, BJP national president JP Nadda, CMs and deputy CMs of NDA-ruled states, Union ministers will be among other dignitaries.
The high-profile attendance will comprise 2,000 VVIPs. Over 40,000 BJP supporters will be present adding vibrance to the political ambience. Special arrangements have been made to accommodate the teeming crowd. A total of 1,000 beneficiaries of Maharashtra’s flagship ‘Ladki Bahin’ scheme as well as farmer beneficiaries have also been invited to the oath-taking ceremony. Prominent personalities from business, entertainment, academics, and literature will grace the occasion too.
Devendra Fadnavis, who was unanimously elected as the leader of the Maharashtra BJP legislature party on Wednesday, will take the oath of office for his third term as chief minister of Maharashtra. His election has drawn attention from both his party and the state’s allies. And the oath-taking ceremony is set to be a landmark event in Maharashtra’s political landscape.
Seating arrangement, security at the venue
As many as 2,000 VVIPs, including political leaders and key figures (sadhus and saints) from various religious communities, will have designated seating arrangements to ensure their comfort and security. Security at the venue will be strong, with more than 3,500 police personnel and 520 officers working diligently to ensure order is maintained. Besides them, special teams from the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF), the quick response team (QRT), the riots control team, delta, combat teams and the bomb detection and disposal squad will be on standby. Senior police officers will closely monitor the security operation, coordinating efforts to ensure the ceremony passes off smoothly.
Traffic diversions
To ensure there is no congestion, a traffic management plan will be implemented. Over 280 personnel from the traffic division have been deployed to oversee smooth vehicular movement on roads leading to Azad Maidan. Certain routes will be diverted to manage the large influx of crowd for the ceremony. To resolve parking difficulties at Azad Maidan, traffic police have asked attendees to use public transport, particularly local trains, to reach the site.
