Chief Minister of Maharashtra

Chief Minister of Maharashtra

The chief minister of Maharashtra (IAST: Mahārāṣṭrāce Mukhyamaṃtrī) is the head of government of the Indian state of Maharashtra. As per the Constitution of India, the governor of Maharashtra is the state's de jure head, but de facto executive authority rests with the chief minister, a template applicable to all other Indian states. Following elections to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, the governor usually invites the political party (or a coalition of political parties) with a majority of assembly seats to form the government in the state. The governor appoints the chief minister, whose council of ministers is collectively responsible to the assembly. If the appointee is not a member of either the Legislative Council or the Legislative Assembly of Maharashtra, then the Constitution stipulates that they need to be elected within six months of being sworn in. Given that they have the confidence of the assembly, the chief minister's term is for five years, renewable, and is subject to no term limits. Usually, the chief minister also serves as leader of the house in the legislative assembly.

The state of Maharashtra was formed from parts of Bombay and Hyderabad States on 1 May 1960. Yashwantrao Chavan of the Indian National Congress, who was serving as the third chief minister of Bombay since 1956, became the first chief minister of the newly formed state. Marotrao Kannamwar succeeded him after the 1962 assembly elections, and is the only chief minister to die while in office. Vasantrao Naik, whose term extended for more than 11 years from December 1963 to February 1975, has been the longest serving chief minister. With the exception of Devendra Fadnavis of the Bharatiya Janata Party, and four people from Shiv Sena, all other chief ministers have been from the Congress and its breakaway parties. The President's rule has been imposed thrice in the state first from February to June 1980, second from September to October 2014, and lastly in November 2019.

Devendra Fadnavis is the current incumbent serving since 5 December 2024.

Predecessors

Prime ministers of Bombay (1937–47)

The Bombay Presidency, which existed during the British Raj, was led by the prime minister of Bombay since the creation of the post in 1937.

<table><thead><tr><th>#</th><th>Portrait</th><th>Name</th><th>Term of office</th><th>Assembly</th><th>Appointed by (Governor)</th><th>Party</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1</td><td></td><td>Dhanjishah Cooper</td><td>1 April 1937</td><td>19 July 1937</td><td>140 days</td><td>1st Provincial (1937 Elections)</td><td>The Lord Brabourne</td><td>Independent</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2</td><td></td><td>Balasaheb Gangadhar Kher</td><td>19 July 1937</td><td>2 November 1939</td><td>2 years, 106 days</td><td>Robert Duncan Bell</td><td>Indian National Congress</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>-</td><td></td><td>Vacant (Governor's Rule)</td><td>2 November 1939</td><td>30 March 1946</td><td>6 years, 148 days</td><td>Dissolved</td><td>-</td><td>N/A</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>(2)</td><td></td><td>Balasaheb Gangadhar Kher</td><td>30 March 1946</td><td>15 August 1947</td><td>1 year, 138 days</td><td>2nd Provincial (1946 Elections)</td><td>John Colville</td><td>Indian National Congress</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

Chief ministers of Bombay (1947–60)

Following the Indian Independence in 1947, the province of Bombay was established from the erstwhile Bombay Presidency. The Bombay State was created in 1950 following the adoption of the Constitution of India and its territory underwent constant change in the following years. It comprised the Bombay province (roughly equating to the present-day Indian state of Maharashtra, excluding South Maharashtra and Vidarbha) and parts of the princely states of the Baroda, Western India and Gujarat (part of present-day Gujarat) and Deccan states (parts of the present-day Maharashtra and Karnataka). During the reorganisation of Indian states in 1956, the Bombay state was enlarged by the addition of Saurashtra and Kutch States, the Marathi-speaking districts of Nagpur Division of Madhya Pradesh and Marathwada region of Hyderabad State, while the southernmost districts of the state were transferred to Mysore State.

#	Portrait	Name	Constituency	Term of office	Assembly	Appointed by (Governor)	Party
1		Balasaheb Gangadhar Kher	MLC	15 August 1947	21 April 1952	4 years, 250 days	Provincial Assembly 1946 election)	John Colville	Indian National Congress
2		Morarji Desai	Bulsar Chikhli	21 April 1952	31 October 1956	4 years, 193 days	1st (1952 elections)	Raja Maharaj Singh
3		Yashwantrao Chavan	Karad North	1 November 1956	5 April 1957	3 years, 181 days	1st (1952 elections)	Harekrushna Mahatab	Indian National Congress
5 April 1957	30 April 1960	2nd (1957 elections)	Sri Prakasa

Chief ministers of Maharashtra

Chief Minister of Maharashtra

The Bombay state was dissolved to form the present-day states of Maharashtra and Gujarat by the Bombay Reorganisation Act, 1960, which was enacted by the Parliament of India on 25 April 1960 and came into effect on 1 May 1960.

<table><thead><tr><th>No</th><th>Portrait</th><th>Name</th><th>Constituency</th><th>Term of office</th><th>Assembly</th><th>Party (Alliance)</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Took office</td><td>Left office</td><td>Duration</td></tr><tr><td>1</td><td></td><td>Yashwantrao Chavan</td><td>Karad North</td><td>1 May 1960</td><td>20 November 1962</td><td>2 years, 203 days</td><td>1st (1957 elections)</td><td>Indian National Congress</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2</td><td></td><td>Marotrao Kannamwar</td><td>Saoli</td><td>20 November 1962</td><td>24 November 1963 †</td><td>1 year, 4 days</td><td>2nd (1962 election)</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><td></td><td>P. K. Sawant</td><td>Chiplun</td><td>25 November 1963</td><td>5 December 1963</td><td>10 days</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><td></td><td>Vasantrao Naik</td><td>Pusad</td><td>5 December 1963</td><td>1 March 1967</td><td>11 years, 78 days</td></tr><tr><td>1 March 1967</td><td>13 March 1972</td><td>3rd (1967 election)</td></tr><tr><td>13 March 1972</td><td>21 February 1975</td><td>4th (1972 election)</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><td></td><td>Shankarrao Chavan</td><td>Bhokar</td><td>21 February 1975</td><td>17 May 1977</td><td>2 years, 85 days</td></tr><tr><td>6</td><td></td><td>Vasantdada Patil</td><td>MLC</td><td>17 May 1977</td><td>5 March 1978</td><td>1 year, 62 days</td></tr><tr><td>Sangli</td><td>5 March 1978</td><td>18 July 1978</td><td>5th (1978 election)</td><td>Indian National Congress (U)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>7</td><td></td><td>Sharad Pawar</td><td>Baramati</td><td>18 July 1978</td><td>17 February 1980</td><td>1 year, 214 days</td><td>Indian Congress (Socialist)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>–</td><td></td><td>Vacant (President's rule)</td><td>N/A</td><td>17 February 1980</td><td>8 June 1980</td><td>112 days</td><td>Dissolved</td><td>N/A</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>8</td><td></td><td>A. R. Antulay</td><td>Shrivardhan</td><td>9 June 1980</td><td>21 January 1982</td><td>1 year, 226 days</td><td>6th (1980 election)</td><td>Indian National Congress</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>9</td><td></td><td>Babasaheb Bhosale</td><td>Nehrunagar</td><td>21 January 1982</td><td>2 February 1983</td><td>1 year, 12 days</td></tr><tr><td>(6)</td><td></td><td>Vasantdada Patil</td><td>Sangli</td><td>2 February 1983</td><td>3 June 1985</td><td>2 years, 121 days</td></tr><tr><td>10</td><td></td><td>Shivajirao Patil Nilangekar</td><td>Nilanga</td><td>3 June 1985</td><td>12 March 1986</td><td>282 days</td><td>7th (1985 election)</td></tr><tr><td>(5)</td><td></td><td>Shankarrao Chavan</td><td>MLC</td><td>12 March 1986</td><td>26 June 1988</td><td>2 years, 106 days</td></tr><tr><td>(7)</td><td></td><td>Sharad Pawar</td><td>Baramati</td><td>26 June 1988</td><td>4 March 1990</td><td>2 years, 364 days</td></tr><tr><td>4 March 1990</td><td>25 June 1991</td><td>8th (1990 election)</td></tr><tr><td>11</td><td></td><td>Sudhakarrao Naik</td><td>Pusad</td><td>25 June 1991</td><td>6 March 1993</td><td>1 year, 254 days</td></tr><tr><td>(7)</td><td></td><td>Sharad Pawar</td><td>MLC</td><td>6 March 1993[§]</td><td>14 March 1995</td><td>2 years, 8 days</td></tr><tr><td>12</td><td></td><td>Manohar Joshi</td><td>Dadar</td><td>14 March 1995</td><td>1 February 1999</td><td>3 years, 324 days</td><td>9th (1995 election)</td><td>Shiv Sena (NDA)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>13</td><td></td><td>Narayan Rane</td><td>Malvan</td><td>1 February 1999</td><td>18 October 1999</td><td>259 days</td></tr><tr><td>14</td><td></td><td>Vilasrao Deshmukh</td><td>Latur</td><td>18 October 1999</td><td>18 January 2003</td><td>3 years, 92 days</td><td>10th (1999 election)</td><td>Indian National Congress (MA)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>15</td><td></td><td>Sushilkumar Shinde</td><td>Solapur South</td><td>18 January 2003</td><td>1 November 2004</td><td>1 year, 288 days</td></tr><tr><td>(14)</td><td></td><td>Vilasrao Deshmukh</td><td>Latur</td><td>1 November 2004[§]</td><td>8 December 2008</td><td>4 years, 37 days</td><td>11th (2004 election)</td></tr><tr><td>16</td><td></td><td>Ashok Chavan</td><td>Mudkhed</td><td>8 December 2008</td><td>7 November 2009</td><td>1 year, 338 days</td></tr><tr><td>Bhokar</td><td>7 November 2009</td><td>11 November 2010</td><td>12th (2009 election)</td></tr><tr><td>17</td><td></td><td>Prithviraj Chavan</td><td>MLC</td><td>11 November 2010</td><td>28 September 2014</td><td>3 years, 321 days</td></tr><tr><td>–</td><td></td><td>Vacant (President's rule)</td><td>N/A</td><td>28 September 2014</td><td>30 October 2014</td><td>32 days</td><td>Dissolved</td><td>N/A</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>18</td><td></td><td>Devendra Fadnavis</td><td>Nagpur South West</td><td>31 October 2014</td><td>12 November 2019</td><td>5 years, 12 days</td><td>13th (2014 election)</td><td>Bharatiya Janata Party (MY)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>-</td><td></td><td>Vacant (President's rule)</td><td></td><td>12 November 2019</td><td>23 November 2019</td><td>11 days</td><td>14th (2019 election)</td><td>N/A</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>(18)</td><td></td><td>Devendra Fadnavis</td><td>Nagpur South West</td><td>23 November 2019</td><td>28 November 2019</td><td>5 days</td><td>Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP-NCP)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>19</td><td></td><td>Uddhav Thackeray</td><td>MLC</td><td>28 November 2019</td><td>30 June 2022</td><td>2 years, 214 days</td><td>Shiv Sena (MVA)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>20</td><td></td><td>Eknath Shinde</td><td>Kopri-Pachpakhadi</td><td>30 June 2022</td><td>5 December 2024</td><td>2 years, 158 days</td><td>Shiv Sena (MY)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>(18)</td><td></td><td>Devendra Fadnavis</td><td>Nagpur South West</td><td>5 December 2024</td><td>Incumbent</td><td>1 year, 104 days</td><td>15th (2024 election)</td><td>Bharatiya Janata Party (MY)</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

Statistics

Chief Minister of Maharashtra

#	Chief Minister	Party	Length of term
Longest tenure	Total tenure
1	Vasantrao Naik		INC	11 years, 78 days	11 years, 78 days
2	Vilasrao Deshmukh		INC	4 years, 37 days	7 years, 129 days
3	Sharad Pawar		INC/IC(S)	2 years, 364 days	6 years, 221 days
4	Devendra Fadnavis		BJP	5 years, 12 days	6 years, 121 days
5	Shankarrao Chavan		INC	2 years, 106 days	4 years, 191 days
6	Manohar Joshi		SS	3 years, 324 days	3 years, 324 days
7	Prithviraj Chavan		INC	3 years, 321 days	3 years, 321 days
8	Vasantdada Patil		INC(U)/INC	2 years, 121 days	3 years, 183 days
9	Uddhav Thackeray		SS	2 years, 214 days	2 years, 214 days
10	Yashwantrao Chavan		INC	2 years, 203 days	2 years, 203 days
11	Eknath Shinde		SS	2 years, 158 days	2 years, 158 days
12	Ashok Chavan		INC	1 year, 338 days	1 year, 338 days
13	Sushilkumar Shinde		INC	1 year, 288 days	1 year, 288 days
14	Sudhakarrao Naik		INC	1 year, 254 days	1 year, 254 days
15	A. R. Antulay		INC	1 year, 226 days	1 year, 226 days
16	Babasaheb Bhosale		INC	1 year, 12 days	1 year, 12 days
17	Marotrao Kannamwar		INC	1 year, 4 days	1 year, 4 days
18	Shivajirao Patil Nilangekar		INC	282 days	282 days
19	Narayan Rane		SS	259 days	259 days
20	P. K. Sawant		INC	10 days	10 days