Mumbai: Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday afternoon formally took his new charge at the 6th floor office of Maharashtra CM in Mantralaya, with a huge crowd trailing him.
Arriving in the state government headquarters precincts, Thackeray accompanied by wife Rashmi, a few family members, son Aditya and others first paid homage at the Martyr’s Memorial erected in memory of those who sacrificed their lives in the Samyukta Maharashtra Movement.
Thackeray, Aditya, placed wreaths, bowed and paid obeisance at the memorial near Mantralaya.
Later, he also paid respects offered flowers/garlands before the portraits of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and other historical figures, inside the Mantralaya.
Along with Thackeray, his six cabinet colleagues comprising the Maha Vikas Aghadi – Shiv Sena’s Eknath Shinde and Subhash Desai, NCP’s Jayant Patil and Chhagan Bhujbal, and Congress’ Balasaheb Thorat and Nitin Raut – also assumed charge in their respective chambers.
Later, he was due to have a brief meeting with his cabinet colleagues in a meeting hall near his office after the mini-cabinet met for the first time late on Thursday night.
Though the agenda of the cabinet meeting is not yet known, it is expected that the CM may make a few announcements signalling he’s now firmly in the saddle.
Several thousands of people had lined up on the road leading to Mantralaya, many others including staffers in and outside Mantralaya.-IANS news