Fadnavis Takes Up Residence at Varsha Bungalow After Five-Month Delay

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis officially moved into his designated residence, Varsha Bungalow, in south Mumbai on Wednesday, nearly five months after assuming office for his third term. The relocation marks his return to the same residence he occupied during his first tenure as chief minister from 2014 to 2019, following a gap of over five years.

Fadnavis, who took oath as chief minister on December 5, 2024, had delayed the move due to personal and logistical reasons. He explained earlier this year that his daughter, Divija, requested to postpone the shift until after her Class 10 board exams, which concluded in March. Additionally, minor repairs were needed at Varsha, which had been vacated by former Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Divija recently achieved a commendable 92.60 percent in her exams, results of which were announced on Wednesday.

The move coincided with the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Tritiya, a culturally significant day. A video shared by IANS captured Fadnavis entering the Malabar Hill residence, highlighting the ceremonial aspect of the transition. The Chief Minister’s Office also noted that Fadnavis paid floral tributes to Rashtrasant Tukdoji Maharaj and Bhagwan Mahatma Basaveshwara on their birth anniversaries at the residence, as reported by the CMO Maharashtra’s official X account.

Fadnavis had previously vacated Varsha in November 2019 after a brief second term as chief minister, which lasted only 80 hours. His return to the bungalow signifies a full-circle moment in his political journey, having first resided there as the state’s youngest chief minister at age 44.