A brief overview of the chief ministers of Maharashtra presents an interesting picture. It also highlights the fact that the state has enjoyed relatively stable political atmosphere though most chief ministers have been unable to stay in the post for a full term or even for a few years. Another stark reality is that the state has had no woman chief minister so far. Maharashtra had been known for its administrative and fiscal discipline for a long time. Over the years, it has lost much of its sheen and one reason is that many of its chief ministers have been unable to show any considerable achievements during their truncated tenures.
The first chief minister was Y.B.Chavan, who ushered in the newly born state on 1 May 1960. A Maratha by birth, he was progressive and liberal in his outlook. Since then, 25 swearing-in ceremonies have taken place to install a chief minister, including him. Expectedly, the Western Maharashtra has dominated the list with ten leaders from the region occupying the post so far. This is followed by Vidarbha and Marathwada regions, each installing four leaders as CMs.
| Devendra Fadnavis | 2024 – Present | Bharatiya Janata Party | |
| Eknath Shinde | 2022 – 2024 | Shiv Sena | MLA for Kopripachpakhadi |
| Uddhav Thackeray | 2019 – 2022 | Shiv Sena | |
| Devendra Fadnavis | 2014 – 2019 | Bharatiya Janata Party | |
| Prithviraj Chavan | 2010 – 2014 | Indian National Congress | |
| Ashok Chavan | 2008 – 2010 | Indian National Congress | |
| Vilasrao Deshmukh | 2004 – 2008 | Indian National Congress | |
| Sushilkumar Shinde | 2003 – 2004 | Indian National Congress | |
| Vilasrao Deshmukh | 1999 – 2003 | Indian National Congress | |
| Narayan Rane | 1999 – 1999 | Shiv Sena | |
| Manohar Joshi | 1995 – 1999 | Shiv Sena | |
| Sharad Pawar | 1993 – 1995 | Indian National Congress | |
| Sudhakarrao Naik | 1991 – 1993 | Indian National Congress | |
| Sharad Pawar | 1988 – 1991 | Indian National Congress | |
| Shankarrao Chavan | 1986 – 1988 | Indian National Congress | |
| Shivajirao Patil Nilangekar | 1986 – 1986 | Indian National Congress | |
| Vasantdada Patil | 1983 – 1985 | Indian National Congress | |
| Babasaheb Bhosale | 1982 – 1983 | Indian National Congress | |
| A.R Antulay | 1980 – 1980 | Indian National Congress | |
| Sharad Pawar | 1978 – 1980 | Indian National (socialist) | |
| Vasantdada Patil | 1977 – 1978 | Indian National Congress | |
| Shankarrao Chavan | 1975 – 1977 | Indian National Congress | |
| Vasantrao Naik | 1963 – 1975 | Indian National Congress | |
| Marotrao Kannamwar | 1962 – 1963 | Indian National Congress | |
| Yashwantrao Chavan | 1960 – 1962 | Indian National Congress |
The political powerful Maratha caste has had ten of the chief ministers while Brahmans and Nomadic Tribes (NTs) have given two chief ministers each to the state. There was one Muslim and one Dalit chief minister. S.B.Chavan and his son Ashok are the only father-son duo to grace the office. Incidentally, both became chief ministers twice. In a manner of speaking, they had emulated the first CM, Y.B.Chavan as he also had a repeat term. The only Chavan to enjoy a single term was Prithviraj Chavan, who lost the recent assembly election.
Maharashtra’s longest CM incumbent was V.P.Naik, whose nephew Sudhakarrao could enjoy only a brief term against the uncle’s over eleven years. Sudhakarrao was ousted by his own Congress party MLAs when he crossed swords with mentor Sharad Pawar.
If one considers Mumbai and Konkan separately from Western Maharashtra, it can be said that the belt has produced two CMs, both belonging to the Shiv Sena. Of them, Manohar Joshi, the first Sena CM, had a fairly good term of nearly four years. The first Brahman to become the Maharashtra CM, he rose to the office of Lok Sabha speaker. The second Sena CM, Narayan Rane, had the shortest term of 259 days as a mid-term election was declared when he was holding the reign. The third CM from this belt was Congress leader A.R.Antulay, the sole minority incumbent. He had to leave the office under a cloud. The third Sena CM was Eknath Shinde but he could reach the post after splitting his own party and succeeding his boss, Uddhav Thackeray.
Powerful leaders and sugar barons Vasantdada Patil and Sharad Pawar took oath as CM four times each but could not complete a single full term. Pawar has been in the legislative arena since 1967 and the seniormost politician in the country today. Vasantdada Patil had a brief tenure as governor of Rajasthan. Pawar and S.B.Chavan were defence ministers of India during the nation’s critical moments. While Operation Blue Star took place during Chavan’s term, the Babri demolition occurred when Pawar was the defence minister.
The only chief minister who was not a member of the legislative assembly is Uddhav Thackeray, who was elected to the legislative council. All other incumbents were MLAs while Pawar and Manohar Joshi were in both houses from time to time. Uddhav became chief minister after the 2019 assembly election by teaming up with the Congress and the Nationalist Congress party (NCP) headed by Pawar. This decision to dump the BJP by him was surprising for many since the two parties – the Sena and the BJP – had fought the assembly election as an alliance.
Present chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and DCM Ajit Pawar had formed a coalition, which did not last even 72 hours in 2019. Thus, the second term of Fadnavis is hardly remembered. His third term has just begun and he has indicated in his first press conference that his priority will be to bring back the lost glory of Maharashtra and re-establish its place as the topmost state of India.
Luckily for him, the BJP has received such a massive mandate that Fadnavis does not have to worry about the strength of the ruling party on the floor of the assembly. He will be assisted by Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, both capable administrators. Moreover, the opposition is so minuscule in numbers that many have started fearing that the brute majority could make the ruling alliance’s performance otherwise. Thus, Fadnavis will have to pilot the three-party ship cautiously.
Of late, there has been criticism is that Maharashtra is losing its prime position as the most affluent and industrialised state. The spectacular progress shown by states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, for instance, in recent years is used as a stick to hit at the state leadership. Fadnavis has proved his visionary outlook in the past and it is believed that he will be able to perform better in this term owing to the massive mandate received by the BJP and the faith shown in him by the electorate.
The stability which has eluded most earlier CMs will become a reality for him and thereby benefit Maharashtra, it is hoped.
A Column By
Dilip Chaware – Senior Editor
A media professional for 43 years, with extensive experience of writing on
a variety of subjects; he is also a documentary producer and book author.
