Maharashtra govt formation Live Updates:
Late Thursday night, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and his MLA-son Aaditya met NCP chief Sharad Pawar at his Silver Oak residence in south Mumbai. Shiv Sena’s Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut was also present at the meeting.
Sources in the Shiv Sena said Uddhav Thackeray has also called a meeting of party legislators on Friday morning. “The party chief is likely to speak on government formation,” a Sena functionary said.
The Congress understanding is that the government will be led by the Sena with the Congress and NCP getting posts of Deputy Chief Ministers. The post of Assembly Speaker, the Congress believes, will be given to it. The portfolios will be divided as per the respective party strength. “It is almost equal for the Sena and NCP and the Congress may get two less,” a senior leader said.
But sources in the NCP said the party is still demanding rotation of the CM post. At least one senior NCP leader told The Indian Express that the issue is still open and will come up during discussions with the Sena. Another critical factor, sources said, is who will head the government. The NCP and the Congress are comfortable with Uddhav Thackeray as Chief Minister. This view will also be conveyed to the Sena.
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Talking to ANI, Shiv Sena leaders Sanjay Raut confirmed that Uddhav Thackeray has given his consent to become Chief Minister.
Ramdas Athawale, a BJP ally in Maharashtra and Union minister, on Friday said the saffron party's leadership should have agreed to the Shiv Sena's demand of the chief minister's post for two-and-a-half years so that power would not have slipped out from their hands. The Republican Party of India (RPI-A) leader's remarks come in the wake of the Congress, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Shiv Sena inching towards sealing a deal on forming an alliance government in the state. The state has been facing a political crisis after the Sena broke its three-decade-long ties with the BJP after the latter declined to share the chief minister's post. (PTI)
Irrespective of whose government is formed in Maharashtra, we will get the work done in the interest of farmers, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said on Friday. "Whosoever forms the government, work will be carried out in a good manner. Irrespective of whose government comes to power in Maharashtra, we will get the work done in farmers' interest. Farmers are more important...who is part of the government is insignificant," the Minister for Road Transport and Highways said at the inauguration of Agrovision, an expo showcasing a wide range of agricultural products, in Nagpur.
Talks on government formation in Maharashtra between the Congress, the NCP and the Shiv Sena are inconclusive and will continue on Saturday as well, AICC General Secretary Ahmed Patel said today.
The newly formed Shiv Sena-Congress-NCP alliance on Friday unanimously proposed Uddhav Thackeray’s name for the post of chief minister in Maharashtra. Watch video here:
Coming out of the meeting, Uddhav Thackeray told reporters that the talks were satisfactory. "We will end the discussions soon and come before media," he added.
Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan and NCP leader Praful Patel are addressing the media. "We discussed all the issues between the parties. The heads of all the parties were present during the meeting. The discussions were held in a positive manner. Talks remain to be concluded," Chavan said.
Amid the political developments, Congress leader Shatrughan Sinha tweeted, "Hopefully, a full five-year term, stable, working government in the true sense is underway in Maharashtra. It is the most desired, wanted, new and expected alliance."
"We all have consensus on the name of Uddhav Thackeray as chief minister," Sharad Pawar told reporters.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar leaves after the meeting in Mumbai on Friday. (Express photo/Nirmal Harindran)
"We have made sure no issues are left untouched between the parties. We will announce everything tomorrow," Uddhav Thackeray told reporters after the meeting in Mumbai.
Speaking to reporters, Sharad Pawar said, "Tomorrow, a press conference will be held by the three parties. Discussions are continuing. Tomorrow we will also decide when to approach the Governor."
As the meeting, NCP chief Sharad Pawar said the party leaders have agreed on Uddhav Thackeray as the new chief minister of Maharashtra.
Shiv Sena-Congress-NCP joint meeting has concluded, ANI reported.
Union minister Nitin Gadkari termed the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance in Maharashtra as opportunistic, adding that even if they succeed in forming the government, they won’t last more than eight months.
Asked about reports of the Shiv Sena and the NCP sharing the chief ministerial post for two-and-half years, Malik said the issue is not important for the parties. "What is important is the government runs for five years, people's sentiments are respected...Our priority to form the government at the earliest," he added.
The Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress will stake claim to form government in Maharashtra either late night on Friday or Saturday morning, NCP's chief spokesman Nawab Malik has said. Malik also said the three parties will give priority to running the government for five years. "Some leaders of the three parties will meet in the evening (on Friday). They will discuss all the points and take the final call. We will stake claim to form the government late tonight or in the morning tomorrow," Malik said.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray are also attending the deliberations at Nehru Centre in South Mumbai aimed at giving momentum to install a non-BJP government in the country's richest state, which is under President's rule. Kharge, while leaving for the meeting from suburban Bandra, told reporters that a decision on when to stake claim to form government will be decided after the meeting.
Eknath Shinde, Subhash Desai, Sanjay Raut (all Shiv Sena), Ahmed Patel, Mallikarjun Kharge, K C Venugopal, Avinash Pande, Balasaheb Thorat, Prithviraj Chavan (Congress), Praful Patel, Jayant Patil and Ajit Pawar (NCP) are taking part in the meeting.
Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray arrives with son and MLA Aaditya Thackeray for a meeting with Congress and NCP leaders in Worli on Friday. (Express photo/Nirmal Harindran)
The BJP was outsmarted by emerging political combinations in the state and lost mayoral polls in Latur and Ulhasnagar despite having a majority in both civic bodies. The Shiv Sena managed to win the posts of mayor and deputy mayor in Mumbai and neighbouring Thane. The BJP, however, managed to keep its flock together and got the support of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena to win the posts of mayor and deputy mayor in Nashik.
Meanwhile, BJP corporator Murlidhar Mohol was today elected as the new Mayor of Pune Municipal Corporation. The city's top post had fallen vacant after BJP's Mukta Tilak was elected as an MLA from the Kasba Assembly constituency in the recently-concluded state elections. The Congress and the NCP had fielded Prakash Kadam as their candidate against BJP's Mohol. Shiv Sena voted against Mohol and supported Kadam. Nonetheless, Mohol won the election by a comfortable margin as the BJP has a clear majority in the civic body. In the 164-member House, the BJP has 99 corporators.
Sena MLA Sunil Prabhu said all the party MLAs have been asked to stay together, while another legislator, Uday Samant, said no one can poach the Sena lawmakers. "We are together in Mumbai due to the fast-changing political developments," he added.
Meanwhile, a BJP leader today moved the Supreme Court against the post-poll alliance in the state. "That the present petition seeks to stop the unholy alliance between three political parties which have all fought against each other but is trying to form the government by joining hands thereby defeating the electoral mandate," the plea read.
Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge told reporters in Mumbai: " We are going for a meeting (Congress-NCP-Shiv Sena) where discussions will be held. We will do a briefing after the meeting."
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut arrives at Worli for a party meeting on Friday. (Express photo/Nirmal Harindran)
"The BJP and Shiv Sena alliance was based on ideology of Hindutva and even today, we don't have much ideological differences. Breaking of such an alliance is not only a loss to the country but also to the Hindutva cause and to Maharashtra," Gadkari added.
"This (Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress) is an alliance of opportunism, they will not be able to give Maharashtra a stable government," Nitin Gadkari told ANI.
Congress Legislative Party meeting underway at Maharashtra Vidhan Bhavan, to elect their legislative party leader.
On the government formation, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said, "There are ideological differences among Congress, Shiv Sena and NCP. The government will not go much ahead even if it is formed."
During the meeting with party MLAs, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said the process to form a Sena-led dispensation in Maharashtra was in the final stages. Sena MLA Bhaskar Jadhav told PTI. "Uddhavji met and told us that the process of formation of Sena-led government is in the final stages," he said. "The legislators have fully endorsed the party's efforts to stitch up an alliance with Congress and NCP to form the next government in the state," he added.
The congress and NCP have allegedly shot down Shiv Sena’s suggestion to name the possible Sena-led coalition government with support from NCP and Congress as ‘Maha Shiv Aghadi’. Instead, the coalition is now likely to be called ‘Maha Vikas Aghadi’. This seems to have come handy to the state BJP, which on Thursday accused the Sena, its estranged ally, of deviating from the Hindutva plank.
The Rs 1.08-lakh crore bullet train project between Ahmedabad and Mumbai may come to a screeching halt if the Congress and NCP succeed in propping up a Shiv Sena-led government in Maharashtra. With farmers’ welfare and a blanket farm loan waiver central to the common minimum programme (CMP) drawn up between the three parties, sources said that the three have agreed to withhold the share of expenditure towards the bullet train project. Instead, the funds would be used to roll out a universal loan waiver scheme within the first 100 days of the government assuming office. Read More
A meeting between the Congress and the NCP is underway at Nariman Point.
Shiv Sena keen on inducting aggressive leaders as its representatives in the Cabinet to ensure that they can hold their own against Congress and NCP bigwigs who have greater experience in governance. The Sena is also expecting a hostile reception from BJP once its moves to the treasury benches. The party believes that having aggressive and vocal ministers would help blunt BJP’s attack. Read More
Chhagan Bhujbal and Prithviraj Chavan arrive at NCP's Dhananjay Munde's residence in Nariman point. The meeting is underway now.
Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray leaves Matoshree to reach BMC headquarters to wish new Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar.
The Shiv Sena meeting has ended. "In the meeting, it was decided that all MLAs will stay in Mumbai till the government formation. The MLAs said that they want Uddhav to be the Chief Minister. However, the final decision will be taken by the Sena chief," said Pratap Sarnaik, Sena legislator from Thane.
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut, who underwent an angioplasty earlier this month, went for a routine checkup at Lilavati Hospital in suburban Bandra on Friday. The Rajya Sabha MP underwent an angioplasty on November 12. The Shiv Sena leader has been at the forefront of Maharashtra power tussle since the state Assembly election results were declared on October 24.
While former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan and Maharashtra Congress president Vijay (Balasaheb) Thorat are being seen as the frontrunners to bag the Deputy Chief Minister’s post, sources said the names of several former ministers including Vijay Wadettiwar, Naseem Khan, Manikrao Thakre, Nitin Raut, Varsha Gaikwad, Ranjit Kamble and Satej Patil, among others, are in the running for ministerial berths.
Just as talks between the Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP enter the decisive stage, intense lobbying has already begun in the Congress over ministerial berths. According to party sources, party heavyweights and former Maharashtra ministers will figure prominently in the Congress’ list of ministers if the three parties do come together to form the government. As per discussions held so far between the parties, the Congress has been assured of at least 12 ministerial berths in the new coalition. Read More
NCP chief Sharad Pawar has finally "outwitted" the "so-called Chanakya of the Indian politics", the party said on Friday, as it inches closer to forming a government with Shiv Sena and Congress in Maharashtra. The NCP's chief spokesperson Nawab Malik also reiterated that the throne of Delhi could not make Maharashtra bow before it.
"@PawarSpeaks Sahab has finally outwitted the so-called Chanakya of Indian politics. The throne of Delhi could not make Maharashtra bow down before it. Jai Maharashtra," Malik tweeted, without naming anyone.
Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has called a meeting of party legislators Friday morning where he is likely to discuss the party’s line of action as three main non-BJP parties make efforts to form government in Maharashtra. See photos here
Gandhi was initially reluctant to the proposal for forming a government with the Sena but changed her stand in the face of the “collective resolve of the Maharashtra Congress leadership to keep the BJP at bay,” a senior leader said. The CWC too took the view that the principal opponent is the BJP and “given their aggression” it is important to checkmate them by dividing the NDA and keeping them out of an important state like Maharashtra, the leader said. The signal from more than two-third of the Congress MLAs that they may cross sides to enable formation of an alternative government also forced the party central leadership’s hands.
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said a new government in Maharashtra should be in place before December and a final decision on it will be taken in a day or two. He said there are no plans of any meeting between Sonia Gandhi and Uddhav Thackeray this week.
Top Congress and NCP leaders met later after which senior leader Prithviraj Chavan said the Congress and NCP have “complete unanimity” on all issues regarding government formation and they will now hold talks with the Shiv Sena to “finalise the architecture of the alliance”.
Congress was keen that the word “secular” finds mention in the Common Minimum Programme and the suggestion had emerged as a sticking point. The Congress, sources said, has now climbed down and the CMP will spell out that the new government will adhere to the Preamble of the Constitution. The document will reaffirm “total faith and commitment to the Constitution of India in letter and spirit and that the government which will be formed will work accordingly to uphold those foundational values,” a senior leader said.
The CWC had to hold a special meeting and give its in-principle approval since an alliance with the Sena, which has a hard Hindutva past, is no less than crossing the Rubicon for the Congress.
"People of Maharashtra want Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray to become the CM," he said. Asked if the three non-BJP parties would meet the state governor on Friday itself, Raut quipped, "Why meet the governor when the President's rule is in place".
Meanwhile, he tweeted: "Kabhi Kabhi kuch rishton se bahar aajana acha hota hai. Ahankaar ke liye nahi, Swabhimaan ke liye (Sometimes it's better to get out of a relationship, not out of ego but for self respect)
Shiv Sena won't side with the BJP even if offered Lord Indra's throne, Sena MP Sanjay Raut said on Friday. Talking to reporters, Raut reiterated that his party will get the Maharashtra CM's post when the three-party alliance with Congress and NCP assumes power. "The time for offers has ended," Raut said, when asked about reports that the BJP had agreed to share the CM's post with the Sena.
But sources in the NCP said the party is still demanding rotation of the CM post. At least one senior NCP leader told The Indian Express that the issue is still open and will come up during discussions with the Sena. Another critical factor, sources said, is who will head the government. The NCP and the Congress are comfortable with Uddhav Thackeray as Chief Minister. This view will also be conveyed to the Sena.
The Congress understanding is that the government will be led by the Sena with the Congress and NCP getting posts of Deputy Chief Ministers. The post of Assembly Speaker, the Congress believes, will be given to it. The portfolios will be divided as per the respective party strength. “It is almost equal for the Sena and NCP and the Congress may get two less,” a senior leader said.
Sources in the Shiv Sena said Uddhav Thackeray has also called a meeting of party legislators on Friday morning. “The party chief is likely to speak on government formation,” a Sena functionary said.
Late Thursday night, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and his MLA-son Aaditya met NCP chief Sharad Pawar at his Silver Oak residence in south Mumbai. Shiv Sena’s Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut was also present at the meeting.
The Congress Working Committee met Thursday morning at party chief Sonia Gandhi’s residence and gave the green signal for an alliance with the NCP and the ideologically incompatible Shiv Sena. Senior Congress leaders Ahmed Patel, Mallikarjun Kharge and K C Venugopal are expected in Mumbai Friday where, along with the NCP, they will finalise the power-sharing formula with the Shiv Sena leadership.
The uncertainty over government formation in Maharashtra is set to end within the next 48 hours with the Congress and NCP reaching an understanding Thursday on backing a Shiv Sena-led government in the state. The two parties, sources said, will join the government and the nitty-gritty of the power-sharing formula could be finalised and announced before Saturday. Read More
Welcome to our Maharashtra government formation LIVE blog. Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has called a meeting of party legislators Friday morning. Also, the uncertainty over government formation in Maharashtra is set to end within the next 48 hours. Follow to get all the latest updates here!