Governor · verified 3 September 2026
Jishnu Dev Varma was sworn in as Maharashtra’s 22nd Governor on 10 March 2026. Acharya Devvrat had held additional charge after C. P. Radhakrishnan’s election as Vice-President.
State dossier 15 · Maharashtra
Maharashtra since 1960.
A source-led record of State formation, constitutional offices, elections, people, economy, social movements, World Heritage, forests and public accountability.
Boundary rule: Maharashtra was created on 1 May 1960 when bilingual Bombay State was divided. Long-run claims distinguish today’s boundary from pre-1960 Bombay State and separately identify Vidarbha, Marathwada, Konkan and western Maharashtra where the source does.
288Assembly constituencies
48Lok Sabha constituencies
112,374,333Census 2011 population
7UNESCO properties wholly or partly in State
Constitutional journey
Linguistic reorganisation joined regions with different administrative histories.
1947–1956Bombay Province, princely States, Hyderabad and Central Provinces legacies
1 NOV 1956Enlarged bilingual Bombay State formed
1 MAY 1960Maharashtra and Gujarat created by Parliament
Chief Ministers and constitutional administration
| Chief Minister / administration | Period | Party / status |
|---|---|---|
| Yashwantrao Chavan | 1 May 1960–19 Nov 1962 | INC; first Chief Minister |
| Marotrao Kannamwar; P. K. Sawant | 20 Nov 1962–4 Dec 1963 | INC |
| Vasantrao Naik | 5 Dec 1963–20 Feb 1975 | INC |
| Shankarrao Chavan; Vasantdada Patil | 21 Feb 1975–18 Jul 1978 | INC ministries |
| Sharad Pawar | 18 Jul 1978–17 Feb 1980 | Progressive Democratic Front |
| President’s Rule | 17 Feb–9 Jun 1980 | Article 356 |
| A. R. Antulay; Babasaheb Bhosale; Vasantdada Patil | 9 Jun 1980–1 Jun 1985 | INC ministries |
| Shivajirao Patil Nilangekar; Shankarrao Chavan | 3 Jun 1985–26 Jun 1988 | INC |
| Sharad Pawar | 26 Jun 1988–25 Jun 1991; 6 Mar 1993–14 Mar 1995 | Congress; two periods |
| Sudhakarrao Naik | 25 Jun 1991–22 Feb 1993 | INC |
| Manohar Joshi; Narayan Rane | 14 Mar 1995–17 Oct 1999 | Shiv Sena–BJP |
| Vilasrao Deshmukh; Sushilkumar Shinde | 18 Oct 1999–30 Oct 2004 | INC–NCP |
| Vilasrao Deshmukh; Ashok Chavan; Prithviraj Chavan | 1 Nov 2004–26 Sep 2014 | INC–NCP ministries |
| President’s Rule | 28 Sep–31 Oct 2014; 12–23 Nov 2019 | Article 356 |
| Devendra Fadnavis | 31 Oct 2014–8 Nov 2019; 23–26 Nov 2019 | BJP |
| Uddhav Thackeray | 28 Nov 2019–29 Jun 2022 | Shiv Sena-led MVA |
| Eknath Shinde | 30 Jun 2022–5 Dec 2024 | Shiv Sena-led coalition |
| Devendra Fadnavis | 5 Dec 2024–present | BJP-led Mahayuti |
Governor and current ministry
Council of Ministers · verified 3 September 2026
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis heads the Mahayuti government. Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Ajit Pawar are Deputy Chief Ministers. Names and portfolios are controlled by the current e-Cabinet directory.
Assembly elections and parties
| Election era | Mandate | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1962–1972 | INC majorities | Congress dominated the first three elections. |
| 1978 | Fragmented verdict | Coalition realignment produced the Progressive Democratic Front. |
| 1980–1990 | INC governments | Leadership changed repeatedly within the ruling party. |
| 1995 | Shiv Sena–BJP | First durable non-Congress coalition. |
| 1999, 2004, 2009 | INC–NCP coalition | Three successive coalition mandates. |
| 2014 | BJP 122 | BJP formed government as largest party. |
| 2019 | BJP 105; Shiv Sena 56; NCP 54; INC 44 | Post-poll rupture produced the MVA. |
| 2024 | BJP 132; Shiv Sena 57; NCP 41 | Mahayuti majority. |
Maharashtra elects 288 MLAs and 48 Lok Sabha members. Party labels after the Shiv Sena and NCP splits follow ECI’s names for that election.
People, economy and public finance
| Measure | Figure / frame | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 112,374,333 | Census 2011 |
| Area | 307,713 km² | Government geography |
| Real GSDP, 2025–26 | ₹28,82,699 crore; 7.9% growth | Advance estimate |
| Nominal GSDP, 2025–26 | ₹51,00,597 crore | Advance estimate |
| Sector growth, 2025–26 | Agriculture 3.4%; industry 5.7%; services 9.0% | Real advance estimates |
Mumbai’s finance and services, industrial corridors, agriculture, cooperatives and the rural economy coexist with large regional disparities. Current-price size, real growth and household welfare are not interchangeable.
Heritage, ecology and civic change
World Heritage
Ajanta, Ellora, Elephanta, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Mumbai’s Victorian Gothic and Art Deco ensembles, Western Ghats components and the trans-State Maratha Military Landscapes are counted by property—not by monument or fort.
Forests, coasts and wetlands
The Western Ghats, Vidarbha tiger landscapes, Konkan coast and Ramsar wetlands require site-specific boundaries. Tadoba-Andhari, Melghat and other reserves are not reduced to tourism statistics.
Social movements
Samyukta Maharashtra, anti-caste and Dalit movements, textile labour, farmer organisations, environmental campaigns and reservation mobilisations are recorded with event-specific demands and outcomes.
Regional inequality
Metropolitan growth, agrarian distress, drought, housing, transport and industrial development require district and time-specific evidence rather than State averages.
UNESCO · Forest Department · NTCA.
Audits and public accountability
CAG reports on State finances, public-sector undertakings, local bodies and compliance are tied to audited periods and departmental replies. Irrigation, infrastructure, urban bodies, cooperatives, procurement and welfare claims require report-level evidence.
Audit observation, allegation, inquiry, charge, trial, judgment and appeal remain separate. An audit paragraph does not by itself establish criminal guilt.
Source ledger
Formation and boundaries: Parliament and India Code · constitutional offices: Legislature, Lok Bhavan, State portal and e-Cabinet · elections: ECI · population: Census India · economy: DES, Economic Survey, Finance Department, RBI and CAG · heritage and nature: UNESCO, ASI, Forest Department, MoEFCC and NTCA · movements and accountability: statutes, courts, commissions and CAG. Checked 3 September 2026.