Spelling error in Fadnavis' swearing-in invitation card leaves Maha admin red-faced

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ swearing-in was a grand affair. While preparations had started quite early, a spelling mistake on the invitation card proved to be embarrassing for the CM.

DNA reported that “the invitation cards for the swearing in ceremony sent on behalf of chief secretary of the state Swadhin Kshatriya to scores of VIPs and journalists erred on the new CM’s name itself. Instead of Fadnavis, the card reads ‘Fadanvis’.”

The mistake may not have been spotted by the organisers or even BJP leaders, but the invitees were quick to spot it out.

DNA quoted a sportsperson as saying, “This was not expected from the state administration. How come no one — from the printer to proof readers to officers and Kshatriya himself — could spot it.”

Fadnavis was sworn-in on Friday in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP President Amit Shah, chief ministers of BJP-led state governments and others.

The Times of India reports that, “though the protocol department had enough time to check Fadnavis’s surname spelling, it did not care to do so. On the other hand, Raj Bhavan was careful enough and checked the spelling from the CM’s social networking accounts.”

Fadnavis, a fourth-term MLA from Nagpur, is the 27th Chief Minister of Maharashtra. At 44, he is the second youngest person to hold the top post and also the fourth political leader from the Vidarbha region to become CM.

Maharashtra governor C Vidyasagar Rao administered the oath of office and secrecy in Marathi to Fadnavis at the public ceremony in the presence of more than 35,000 people. Seven Cabinet ministers, two ministers of state were also sworn in by Rao.

The seven cabinet ministers are Eknath Khadse, Sudhir Mungantiwar, Vinod Tawde, Prakash Mehta, Chandrakant Patil, Pankaja Munde and Vishnu Savara. Two others – Dilip Kamble and Vidya Thakur — are ministers of state.

The BJP emerged as the single largest party in the 288-member state Assembly with 122 seats. Though it will be a minority government, the NCP, that has 41 members, has extended ‘unconditional’ outside support to the BJP to form the government. The BJP also has the support of seven independents and other smaller parties.