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.

Chief Minister of Maharashtra
Mahārāṣṭrāce Mukhyamaṃtrī
Emblem of Maharashtra
Incumbent Devendra Fadnavis since 5 December 2024
Government of Maharashtra
Style	The Honorable Mr. Chief Minister His Excellency
Status	Head of Government
Abbreviation	CM
Member of	Vidhan Sabha Vidhan Parishad Cabinet
Residence	Varsha Bungalow, Malabar Hill, Mumbai
Seat	Mantralaya, Mumbai
Appointer	Governor of Maharashtra
Term length	At the confidence of the assembly 5 years and is subject to no term limits.
Precursor	Prime Minister of Bombay Presidency Chief Minister of Bombay State
Inaugural holder	Dhanjishah Bomanjee Cooper (as Prime Minister of Bombay State) Balasaheb Gangadhar Kher (as Chief Minister of Bombay State) Yashwantrao Chavan (as Chief Minister of Maharashtra)
Formation	1 May 1960 (65 years ago) (1960-05-01)
Deputy	Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra
Salary	₹4.08 million (US$48,000) annually
Website	CMO Maharashtra

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.

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

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

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.

Key No.: Incumbent number ^† Died in office ^§ Returned to office after a previous non-consecutive term ^RES Resigned ^NC Resigned following a no-confidence motion

• Shiv Sena (14.8%)
• Bharatiya Janata Party (9.14%)
• Indian Congress (Socialist) (2.44%)
• Indian National Congress (U) (0.57%)