Governor Bhagat Singh Koshari administering the oath of office to Shiv Sena's Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at the Rajya Bhavan. (Express photo by Narendra Vaskar)Maharashtra political crisis Highlights : Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday congratulated Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis on being sworn in as the Chief Minister and Deputy CM of Maharashtra, respectively. Fadnavis and Shinde earlier met Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari at Raj Bhawan where they staked claim for government formation in Maharashtra.
After taking the oath as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shinde vowed to give an “effective and strong” government. A two-day special session of the Maharashtra legislature will be held from July 2. The decision was taken in the first cabinet meeting after Eknath Shinde took over as the new chief minister of the state, officials said. On the first day, election to the post of Assembly speaker will be held, they added, news agency PTI reported.
Earlier, addressing a press conference after meeting the Governor, Fadnavis said the Shiv Sena, by joining hands with the Congress and the NCP in 2019 to overthrow BJP, had insulted the public mandate. He further claimed rampant corruption during the rule of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government while quoting two NCP leaders accused of corruption. At the press briefing, Eknath Shinde said the BJP, with 106 MLAs and independents, has the support of 120 MLAs and added that if the party wished it could have kept the CM post with itself. “I express my deep gratitude to PM Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Devendra Fadnavis,” he said.
Former Maharashtra CM and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis being fed sweets by Maharashtra BJP President Chandrakant Patil during a party meeting, at Taj President Hotel in Mumbai. (PTI)
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde arrived at the Dabolim airport in South Goa a little after 1 am on Friday. He told reporters outside the airport, "My colleagues (rebel MLAs), all 50 of them - 40 plus 10 - they placed their faith in me. That's why Maharashtra has seen a day like this. They are most important and that is why after taking oath (as CM) I have come to meet them. It is because of them that one of Balasaheb's Shiv Sainiks has become the Chief Minister today."
Shinde said that he would work on meeting "the expectations of the people of Maharashtra, the development agenda, securing justice for every person, Balasaheb's position on Hindutva and the teachings of Anand Dighesaheb are the things we will take forward".
He said he would discuss their further strategy with the rebel MLAs lodged at the Taj Resort and Convention centre, where he was headed to meet the rebel MLAs backing him.
Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde expected to arrive in Goa at about 1 am. Will meet the other rebel MLAs who stayed back at the hotel in Dona Paula. MLAs are waiting to welcome Shinde at the hotel.
Reversing a key decision of the Uddhav Thackeray government, the Eknath Shinde government has decided that the carshed of Metro 3 will be built inside Aarey forest.
The metro – 3 is a flagship project of Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation and will connect Navy Nagar with SEEPZ.
Several environmentalists in Mumbai had opposed this at Aarey as they considered Aarey as an extension of Sanjay Gandhi National Park and a habitat for leopards and other fauna.
The Uddhav Thackeray government had declared 804 acres of Aarey as reserve forest and had sought land for carshed at Kanjur Marg where other metros were to culminate. Among its first decisions, the MVA government in 2019 had taken the decision to shift the carshed to Kanjurmarg from Aarey.
With their wish of seeing Shiv Sena legislator Eknath Shinde becoming the chief minister coming true, residents of Shinde’s native village Dare in Satara district, along with all the 104 villages along the Koyna river, are celebrating with a hope that their long-pending demands of proper roads, hospitals and schools will finally be met.
Dare, which has only about 30 houses, is situated on the banks of the Koyna river in a remote, backward belt, about 70 km from the hill town Mahableshwar, on the foothills of the Sahyadri Hills. The village is skirted by the forest reserve on one side and Koyna on the other. Most of its houses are locked as their inhabitants are migrant labourers who work in Mumbai and Pune in the absence of any regular source of income in the village.
“We have just received the news of Eknath Shinde becoming the chief minister of the state. The villagers are very happy and are hopeful of seeing development in the village,” said Laxman Shinde, sarpanch of Dare village. Read More
NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Thursday claimed that BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis did not appear to be happy while accepting the deputy chief minister's post in Eknath Shinde's government.
"I think Fadnavis has not accepted the number two position happily. His facial expression said it all," Pawar told reporters in Pune. "(But) He is from Nagpur and he has worked as a `swayamsevak' (with the RSS) and there, when an order comes, it has to be followed," the NCP chief said, adding that Fadnavis might have accepted a junior position due to this`sanskar' (values).
He also spoke about the alleged misuse of central agencies under the BJP government, claiming that he received letters from the Income Tax department regarding his election affidavits in 2004, 2009 and 2014. (PTI)
Minutes before taking over as the new chief minister of Maharashtra, rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde posted a new profile picture on Facebook – one with Sena pramukh Balasaheb Thackeray.
The post, with no caption, is indicative of what Shinde’s faction ‘Shiv Sena Balasaheb’ has been alleging over the past few weeks — that they are the true followers of Balasaheb’s ideology of Hindutva.
“We are Balasaheb’s staunch Shiv Sainiks… Balasaheb has taught us Hindutva. We have never and will never cheat for power with Balasaheb’s thoughts and Dharmaveer Anand Dighe Saheb’s teachings,” Shinde had earlier said. Read More
As days of political unrest in Maharashtra culminated in the formation of a new government led by rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde, the Congress Thursday accused the BJP of “undemocratically and unethically capturing another state through the display of money and muscle power.”
The Congress was an alliance partner along with the NCP in the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government in the state.
Terming the Maharashtra episode “shameful for Indian democracy”, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said: “Under the Modi-Shah duo, the BJP wants to capture power at any cost, either directly or through remote control.” Read More
Uddhav Thackeray extends best wishes to Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde and Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis.
“My father is not hungry for power, he walked out of Varsha (the CM house) the moment the banner of rebellion was raised. He is dignified, graceful, clean and loyal to his words,” Yuva Sena president Aaditya Thackeray Thursday said in an interview to a TV channel.
Speaking to NDTV, Aaditya added: “We did have an idea about a couple of people’s ambitions and they were also offered the posts they wanted, just a month before this drama started.” Read More
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday congratulated BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on being sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulates Eknath Shinde on being sworn in as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis takes oath as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
Eknath Shinde takes oath as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra
Devendra Fadnavis has decided to join the Maharashtra government on the request of BJP chief JP Nadda, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said in a tweet on Thursday.
Maharashtra CM-designate Eknath Shinde arrives at Raj Bhawan for the swearing-in ceremony.
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday said rebel MLAs have chosen their own way and there would be no hindrance from the party in the path of the dissidents associating themselves with the BJP as he once again targeted the breakaway group whose revolt last week brought down the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.
He also tweeted an image of a man in a white kurta pyjama, who is presumably dressed like Uddhav Thackeray, with blood oozing from a wound on his back. “This is exactly what happened,” Raut tweeted, alluding to the dissidents who switched sides. (PTI)
BJP president J P Nadda has said that the central leadership has directed Devendra Fadnavis to be a part of the Eknath Shinde-led government as the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra.
Nadda's directive comes in the backdrop of Fadnavis stating earlier in the day that he will not be a part of the Eknath Shinde cabinet and that he would monitor the government and facilitate its smooth functioning.
There is a sense of déjà vu about the developments in Maharashtra. In state after state, it’s the same script. In Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka, we saw the removal of non-BJP governments due to defections and splits. In Maharashtra, this happened to the Shiv Sena instead of the Congress but the script was more or less the same. India’s parliamentary democracy has seen it all — defections, splits, controversies surrounding the role of presiding officers, judicial interventions and even videography of proceedings of the House. Right from the beginning of the current crisis, however, it was clear that Uddhav Thackeray had lost the majority and this had happened because of the desertion of his own party’s MLAs.
Two institutional issues have emerged from the political developments that unfolded in Maharashtra over the past week or so. One is about the appropriateness of judicial intervention and the other has to do with the inadequacy of the anti-defection law. Both need to be separately debated. But even as we mull over the institutional aspects, there are three broader factors which are politically central and have resonance beyond state politics. Suhas Palshikar writes
From working in a beer brewery in Thane and driving an autorickshaw to make ends meet, to becoming the most powerful leader in the Shiv Sena after the Thackerays, to splitting the party and becoming Chief Minister, Eknath Shinde, 58, has had an eventful career.
In this crisis, two other qualities helped Shinde prevail: the fact that he has the loyalty of many party MLAs for being an accessible leader – especially when appointment at Matoshree got tough – and being generous with economic largesse.
The Shinde family originally belongs to Satara district and moved to Thane in the ’70s when Shinde was just a child. His start was with odd jobs, at places such as a beer brewery and fishery, apart from his stint as an autorickshaw driver, before he began his association with the Shiv Sena in the ’80s. Read More
Fadnavis further said the BJP will support Eknath Shinde faction and take responsibilities for the smooth functioning of the government. "We will take ahead Narendra Modi's vision of development."
Today, BJP along with Eknath Shinde faction and 16 independents/ smaller parties have given letters of support to Governor, Fadnavis said and announced Shinde as the CM of Maharashtra.
Fadnavis further said: "Eknath Shinde and his supporters had taken a strong stand to not continue with the Congress and the NCP. They were not willing to compromise on Hindutva. We had always maintained we will provide alternative government if MVA falls."
After staking claim to form government in Maharashtra, BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, addressing a press conference, said that the Shiv Sena, by joining hands with Congress and NCP in 2019 to keep BJP out of power, had insulted the public mandate. He further claimed of rampant corruption during the reign of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government rule while quoting two NCP leaders accused of corruption.
Rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis will take oath at 7 pm today.
Eknath Shinde and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis leave the latter's residence for Raj Bhawan to meet the Governor.
Speaking to a TV channel a day after his father Uddhav Thackeray resigned as the Maharashtra CM, Aaditya Thackeray said: "My grandfather and father have always said that power and money come and go but you have to maintain your reputation. People have seen what an administrator my father was. They have always trusted us with Mumbai and BMC knowing that this man is clean... The rebels have not personally attacked my father yet because that is not in the script yet."
Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis and rebel Sena minister Eknath Shinde will meet Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari at 3.30 pm at Raj Bhawan.
Rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde arrived in Mumbai from Goa Thursday afternoon.
Rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde arrived in Mumbai from Goa on Thursday. He was provided with a Z category security cover by the Centre.
On his way to the Goa airport, Shinde told reporters that he will be meeting the Maharashtra Governor. Sources in the BJP also told The Indian Express that Shinde will be meeting Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis.
"When anyone misunderstands good fortunes as one's personal accomplishment; therein begins the journey towards one's decline," Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray tweeted, in a veiled attack on estranged cousin former CM and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray.
Security has been tightened at the Mumbai airport and Bal Thackeray memorial at Shivaji Park as Eknath Shinde is set to arrive in Mumbai.
He's expected to meet LoP Devendra Fadnavis.
Eknath Shinde, who travelled to Mumbai from Goa to meet the Maharashtra Governor BS Koshyari and former CM Devendra Fadnavis, was provided a Z category security cover by the Centre.
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday said the rebels have chosen their way and there would be no hindrance from the party in the path of the dissidents to associate with the BJP, and that the Sena will play the role of a constructive opposition to the new government.
Talking to reporters a day after Sena president Uddhav Thackeray resigned as the state chief minister following a rebellion that rocked his government, Raut also said the dissident leaders will “regret” their decision to part ways with the Shiv Sena. Raut said he will also go to the Enforcement Directorate's office on Friday in response to the summons issued to him by the agency, and clear his position. “You (rebel leaders) will regret this. Eknath Shinde (the leader of the rebel MLAs) was a staunch Shiv Sainik and worked for the party for many years. Be it (MLAs) Gulabrao Patil, Sandipan Bhumre and many (who are in the Shinde camp) who worked for the party and struggled for it…they have chosen their path. We will not create any impediment in their path. They can have their association (with the BJP). We will do our work. Now our paths are different...We will work as a constructive opposition,” he added. (PTI)
"Maharashtra BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis will decide the oath-taking date. It is the prerogative of the Governor to give him that date. Our negotiations have already started and we will form a government," the Eknath Shinde camp's spokesman Deepak Kesarkar said.
Maharashtra BJP leader Girish Mahajan on Thursday claimed that his party has the support of 170 MLAs, way above the 145 majority mark in the 288-member House that is necessary to form a government in the state.
Speaking to reporters, former minister Mahajan said, "We have a support of 170 MLAs. We can comfortably face a floor test whenever we are asked to prove majority." The BJP's strength in the House is 106, and it claims to have the support of at least 13 legislators. (PTI)
“We contested the 2019 elections with the BJP, which is what the people of Maharashtra voted for. We are going to deliver on the promises made then,” rebel Sena camp’s spokesperson Deepak Kesarkar said.
Whether Eknath Shinde is leading the true Shiv Sena and can use the party symbol, the Election Commission will eventually decide, rebel Sena camp’s spokesperson Deepak Kesarkar said.
At a press briefing Thursday, rebel Sena camp’s spokesperson Deepak Kesarkar said that they haven’t celebrated Uddhav Thackeray’s resignation. He’s a respected leader and we have no reason to celebrate his resignation, Kesarkar said.
Rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde Thursday left for Mumbai from Goa. On his way to the airport, Shinde told reporters that he will be meeting the Maharashtra Governor. Sources in the BJP also told The Indian Express that Shinde will be meeting Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis.
Meanwhile, the rebel MLAs have stayed put in Goa, where they arrived on Wednesday following Uddhav Thackeray’s resignation. According to sources, the MLAs have resolved to give Shinde the power to decide what steps to take next. Shinde is now on his way to the airport in Dabolim.
The NCP and Congress will Thursday hold separate meetings of their party legislators to decide the future strategy of their parties in the state.
“The party legislators are meeting today. We are now in opposition and gearing up for our role as a strong opposition party in the state,” said state Congress chief Nana Patole. Meanwhile, the NCP chief Sharad Pawar has also convened the meeting of party legislators in the state capital. Read more
The state BJP core committee is set to meet Thursday. The BJP national general secretary in charge of Maharashtra, C T Ravi, state BJP chief Chandrakant Patil, and Opposition leader Devendra Fadnavis along with senior leaders Sudhir Mungantiwar, Girish Mahajan, and Ashish Shelar will attend the meeting.
The party leaders will decide the action plan for government formation in Maharashtra. They will decide the date and time of when to approach the Governor to stake a claim for government formation.
A day after Uddhav Thackeray resigned as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra following a rebellion in his own party, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut Thursday tweeted an illustration showing Thackeray with stab wounds on his back.
“This is exactly what happened,” Raut tweeted along with the sketch. The Shiv Sena MP was referring to the revolt led by party leader Eknath Shinde, who has the support of at least 39 rebel MLAs along with other independents and legislators of smaller parties.
After Uddhav Thackeray's resignation, Congress MLAs and ministers in Maharashtra Thursday held a meeting to decide on the next course of action
"There has been no discussion with BJP on ministerial posts yet, it will happen soon. Till then do not believe in any rumours," Eknath Shinde tweeted Thursday morning.
After Thackeray's resignation, the rebel faction is expected to align with the BJP in the formation of the new government.
The Mumbai Police bid farewell to outgoing Mumbai Police Commissioner Sanjay Pandey Thursday as Vivek Phansalkar takes charge.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said that he might go to the ED office tomorrow (Friday) afternoon.
The agency summoned the Shiv Sena MP in connection with a case of alleged money laundering linked to the redevelopment of a chawl in Mumbai’s suburbs on July 1.
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Thursday asserted, “We will work and come to power on our own once again.” “Shiv Sena is not born for power, power is born for Shiv Sena. This has always been Balasaheb Thackeray’s mantra,” he added.
"We got emotional yesterday when Uddhav Thackeray resigned as Chief Minister. Everyone has faith in Uddhav Thackeray... People of every caste and religion support him. Sonia Gandhi and Sharad Pawar trust him," Raut was quoted as saying by ANI.
Rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde, who along with his group of MLAs shifted to Goa Wednesday, is expected to address the faction on Thursday. In the meeting, the rebel camp is expected to strategise on their next move and decide on their return to Mumbai. Though the MLAs were expected to arrive in Mumbai early Thursday morning, the plans were pushed back following Uddhav Thackeray’s resignation.
“The new alliance with the initiative of top leaders of Shiv Sena, the NCP and Congress came into being two-and-a-half years back. The MVA gave good governance under good leadership of Uddhav Thackeray,” said Nationalist Congress Party’s (NCP) state chief Jayant Patil.
On rebel Sena legislators’ allegation that deputy CM Ajit Pawar had allocated fewer funds for development works in their respective assembly constituencies, Patil said, “The allegations are false. They are just making allegation for the sake of it to give an excuse for their decision.”
Former CM Prithviraj Chavan said that his personal opinion was that Thackeray should have made a speech in the assembly before putting in his resignation. “He should have gone down fighting. Finally, it is his decision,” he said, adding the Congress would decide its further strategy in a meeting to be held on Thursday. Read more
Bhagat Singh Koshyari took over as the Governor of Maharashtra in September 2019, two months before the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi assumed power in the state.
The 31-month period since has been marked with constant friction and antagonism between the two sides. Koshyari’s order asking Uddhav to prove his majority on the floor of the House on Thursday, ending days of uncertainty following the revolt raised by Eknath Shinde and 40-odd MLAs against the Shiv Sena chief, marks a culmination of that. Read more
Uddhav Thackeray visited the Khandoba temple near Raj Bhavan at midnight soon after stepping down as Maharashtra's CM on Wednesday.
At 62, this is the worst crisis Uddhav Thackeray has faced in his short political life, emerging from the overarching shadow of father Bal Thackeray. Not only has he lost chief ministership after taking a gamble with an unlikely coalition, he is facing the prospect of losing control of a party founded by Balasaheb and deriving sustenance from the Thackeray name.
We take a look at Uddhav's political journey. Read here
After camping in Guwahati for days, the Shinde faction, which brought down the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra, arrived on a special Spice Jet flight at Dabolim airport in South Goa. After hopping from one BJP-ruled state to another over the past nine days, the rebel MLAs flew in closer to Mumbai ahead of a floor test that was scheduled on Thursday. However, Thackeray’s resignation meant there would be no floor test.
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant met the breakaway legislators at the hotel late Wednesday night, the sources said. The Shinde faction is expected to align with the BJP in the next government formation in Maharashtra. Read more
While BJP leaders and workers broke out into celebration after Thackeray resigned, top leaders of the party huddled into a meeting at a five-star hotel in south Mumbai to strategise their next move.
A source said that top BJP leaders from Maharashtra will hold a meeting on Thursday to finalise their next course of action. He added that BJP will stake claim for the formation of the new government under the leadership of Devendra Fadnavis, backed the Eknath Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena, which comprises 39 rebel MLAs, and Independents.
On the formation of the new government, Patil said, “The date of staking claim and swearing-in will be decided by Devendra Fadnavis in consultation with senior leaders in Delhi.”
A source in the BJP added, “The party leadership will meet Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and stake claim for forming the government. It would be then followed by appointment of a new CM and the council of ministers.” Read more
Even as his lawyers were battling it out in the Supreme Court, Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday gave a farewell speech of sorts to his cabinet colleagues for their support over the past two and a half years and apologised for the “betrayal” by the party rebels. He also told some cabinet colleagues that if the court ordered a floor test, he might resign ahead of it. Read more
Amid the political turmoil in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray Wednesday announced his decision to step down as the Chief Minister. The announcement was made via a Facebook live shortly after the Supreme Court ordered the Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government to take a floor test to prove its majority in the Assembly tomorrow. Read all quotes
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray resigned on Wednesday, drawing curtains on the nine-day political upheaval unleashed by the rebellion of Shiv Sena MLA Ekanth Shinde.
Thackeray resigned minutes after the Supreme Court ruled that he must prove his government still has a majority tomorrow. Read more
The BJP is set to stake claim for formation of the new government in Maharashtra, as Uddhav Thackeray announced his resignation as the chief minister during a Facebook live address on Wednesday night.
While BJP leaders and workers broke out into celebration after Thackeray resigned, top leaders of the party huddled into a meeting at a five-star hotel in south Mumbai to strategise their next move. Read more
THE SHIV Sena on Wednesday alleged that its workers are being detained by the Mumbai Police and notices being served to them on the Centre’s orders.
Party MP Sanjay Raut said that BJP leaders in Maharashtra are preparing themselves for swearing-in of a new government. Read more
Outnumbered after a rebellion in his own party and realising he will not be able to prove majority on the floor of the Assembly, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray resigned Wednesday night, shortly after the Supreme Court declined to stay a floor test called Thursday by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari. Read more