| Border: | parliamentary |
| Minister: | not_prime20.02332 |
| Post: | Chief Minister |
| Body: | Maharashtra |
| Insignia: | Seal of Maharashtra.svg |
| Insigniacaption: | Emblem of Maharashtra |
| Department: | Government of Maharashtra |
| Incumbent: | Eknath Shinde |
| Incumbentsince: | 30 June 2022 |
| Appointer: | Governor of Maharashtra |
| Style: | The Honorable Mr. Chief Minister His Excellency |
| Status: | Head of Government |
| Abbreviation: | CM |
| Termlength: | At the confidence of the assembly |
| Termlength Qualified: | 5 years and is subject to no term limits.[1] |
| Inaugural: | |
| Current: | Raj Thakre |
| Deputy: | Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra |
| Residence: | Varsha Bungalow, Malabar Hill, Mumbai |
| Seat: | Mantralaya, Mumbai |
| Precursor: | |
| Salary: |
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The Chief Minister of Maharashtra (IAST: Mahārāṣṭrāce Mukhyamaṃtrī) is the head of the executive branch of the government of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Following elections to the Legislative Assembly, the governor invites the party (or coalition) with a majority of seats to form the government and appoints the chief minister. If the appointee is not a member of either the Legislative Assembly or the Legislative Council of Maharashtra, then the Constitution stipulates that they need to be elected within six months of being sworn in.[2] The office of the CM is coterminous with the concurrent Assembly provided the CM commands confidence in the house and hence does not exceed five years. However, it is subject to no term limits.[3]
Maharashtra was formed by dissolution of Bombay State and Hyderabad State on 1 May 1960.[4] Yashwantrao Chavan, who was serving as the third CM of Bombay State since 1956, became the first CM of Maharashtra. He belonged to the Indian National Congress and held the office until the 1962 Assembly elections. Marotrao Kannamwar succeeded him and was the only CM to die while in office.[5] [6] Vasantrao Naik, who was in office from December 1963 to February 1975 for more than 11 years, has by far been the longest serving CM. He also was the first and only CM to complete his full term of five years (1967-1972) till Devendra Fadnavis matched it (2014-2019). With the exceptions of Manohar Joshi (SS), Narayan Rane (SS), Devendra Fadnavis (BJP), Uddhav Thackeray (SS) and Eknath Shinde (SS), all other CMs have been from the Congress or its breakaway parties.[7] [8] [9]
So far, President's rule has been imposed thrice in the state: first from February to June 1980 and again from September to October 2014. It was again imposed on 12 November 2019.[10] [11]
The current incumbent is Eknath Shinde of the Shiv Sena since 30 June 2022.[12]
Colour key for political parties
| Prime Minister | Term of office | Election | Party | Government | Appointed by (Governor) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sir Dhanjishah Bomanji Cooper | 1 April 1937 | 19 July 1937 | 1937 | Independent | Cooper | The Lord Brabourne | |||
| 2 | Balasaheb Gangadhar Kher | 19 July 1937 | 2 November 1939 | Indian National Congress | Kher I | Robert Duncan Bell | ||||
| (2) | Balasaheb Gangadhar Kher | 30 March 1946 | 26 January 1950 | 1946 | Indian National Congress | Kher II | Sir John Colville | |||
| Chief Minister | Term of office | Election | Party | Government | Appointed by (Governor) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Ministers of Bombay State (19501956) | ||||||||||
| 1 | Balasaheb Gangadhar Kher | 26 January 1950 | 21 April 1952 | 1946 | Indian National Congress | Kher | Sir John Colville | |||
| 2 | Morarji Desai | 21 April 1952 | 31 October 1956 | 1952 | Desai | Raja Sir Maharaj Singh | ||||
| Chief Ministers of Bombay State (19561960) | ||||||||||
| 3 | Yashwantrao Chavan | 1 November 1956 | 30 April 1960 | Indian National Congress | Yashwantrao I | Harekrushna Mahatab | ||||
| 1957 | Yashwantrao II | Sri Prakasa | ||||||||