Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray being greeted after he was chosen as the nominee for Maharashtra chief minister’s post by Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance. (PTI)
Maharashtra Government Formation HIGHLIGHTS: MLAs from Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP met Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari Tuesday and submitted their letters of support for Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray as the chief minister of Maharashtra. Thackeray will be sworn in as Maharashtra chief minister at Shivaji Park on November 28. The Sena-NCP-Congress MLAs met at Trident hotel and passed a resolution appointing Uddhav as CM nominee of their front. The MLAs also passed the resolution to form ‘Maha Vikas Aghadi’, the three-party alliance in Maharashtra.
Earlier in the day, Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar resigned as the chief minister and deputy chief minister respectively hours after the Supreme Court passed an order directing floor test in the state. “We do not have majority after Ajit Pawar’s resignation,” Fadnavis said announcing his intent to resign. “We realised we don’t have the numbers and we don’t want to indulge in horse trading,” he said. Read in Malayalam
Addressing the press, Fadnavis said the poll mandate was for the BJP more so than the Shiv Sena, adding that no discussions were held with the former ally on a rotational CM post. “We won more than 70 per cent seats while Sena won around 40 per cent seats,” he said. In the 288-member Assembly, the BJP won 105 seats while the Sena won 56.
Shiv Sena party president Uddhav Thackeray, blue shirt, along Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President Sharad Pawar, center and other party members takes oath during a show of strength of elected representatives to Maharashtra state legislature in Mumbai. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
Amruta Fadnavis tweets after her husband, Devendra Fadnavis' resignation as the chief minister of Maharashtra.
Caretaker chief minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis said Tuesday that he and his party will get to back to work as opposition after the Congress, Shiv Sena and NCP-led Maha Vikas Aghadi forms government in the state. Fadnavis was addressing BJP legislature party meeting on Tuesday night.
Maharashtra governor gives Uddhav Thackeray time till December 3 to hand over letter showing majority support.
Shiv Sena's Aaditya Thackeray arrives at NCP chief Sharad Pawar's residence on Tuesday night. (ANI)
Shiv Sena's Aaditya Thackeray after meeting Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari: He (Governor) gave us his time today, and the chance to form government. We want to work for the people and provide a stable government to the state. (ANI)
"We have met Governor along with alliance partners and submitted letters of support requesting of Governor to invite Uddhav Thackeray to take oath CM. The oath taking ceremony will take place on Thursday at 5 pm," said Jayant Patil, NCP state president.
The BJP on Tuesday reposed faith in leadership of Devendra Fadnavis. The decision was taken at the BJP state legislature party meeting late Tuesday evening.
The BJP leader Ashish Shelar said, "The BJP reposed faith in leadership of Devendra Fadnavis. Under his leadership party will work in opposition and participate in all legislative work. The party also conveys it's good wishes to Congress NCP and Shiv Sena which has come together to form government. The BJP also conveys it's good wishes to Sena president Uddhav Thackeray who has been appointed as CM candidate."
Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray paid tribute to party founder & his father Balasaheb Thackeray, at Matoshree (Thackeray residence), after getting elected as 'Maha Vikas Aghadi' (NCP-Congress-Shiv Sena alliance) CM candidate, today.
Meeting underway between NCP Chief Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar, and Supriya Sule at Silver Oak, the residence of Sharad Pawar. (ANI)
Mumbai: Meeting of BJP MLAs underway at the party's office.
Devendra Fadnavis arrives at BJP office for party meeting.
Hours after he resigned as the deputy chief minister, NCP leader Ajit Pawar met party chief Sharad Pawar at his residence. The meeting comes ahead of floor test in the Maharashtra Assembly tomorrow. The Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress front will form government in the state after the BJP said it does not have the numbers. Sena's Uddhav Thackeray is set to become the chief minister.
NCP's Nawab Malik said Uddhav Thackeray was unanimously elected as the leader and he will definitely be the CM. "He'll now go to Raj Bhavan and stake his claim to form govt. If governor accepts the claim, swearing-in ceremony will be held on December 1 at 5 pm at Shivaji Park."
Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena, when asked if 'PM Modi will be invited for the swearing-in ceremony of Uddhav Thackeray as the Maharashtra CM': Yes we will invite everyone, we will even invite Amit Shah ji."
"Not the people with whom we were there for 30 years but the people against whom we fought for 30 years kept trust on my leadership," said Uddhav. "Fadnavis's statement in today's press conference that nothing was decided about the CM post hurt me a lot," he added
Sharad Pawar said a delegation will go to Raj Bhavan to stake claim to form government after this meeting.
The swearing in of Uddhav Thackeray as the chief minister of Maharashtra in Shivaji Park on December 1, NCP chief Sharad Pawar announced
The MLAs passed a resolution appointing Uddhav Thackeray as the leader of the alliance and the Chief Ministerial nominee of the front. The resolution was mooted by NCP state president Jayant Patil and was seconded by State Congress President Balasaheb Thorat which was passed unanimously by all the assembled MLAs. A resolution to form the alliance 'Maha Vikas Aghadi' was also passed by the MLAs.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Tuesday welcomed the Supreme Court's decision on the developments in Maharashtra and said the SC upheld the spirit of the Constitution. "This is a special news on Constitution Day," she said. Speaking about the formation of Fadnavis government on Saturday through overnight developments, Banerjee said, "Heard about freedom at midnight, never heard of government at midnight. Maharashtra has shown the way."
Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress meeting underway at Trident Hotel. Sharad Pawar arrives at the venue while his supporters raise slogans to welcome him.
"Ajit Pawar will not come for today's meeting. There has not been contact with him. But I have been meeting him since 2 days, I will meet him today as well," NCP leader Jayant Patil said.
Uddhav Thackeray arrives at Trident Hotel in Mumbai where the Sena, NCP and Congress MLAS have gathered to elect the leader of the alliance.
Sena-NCP-Congress MLAs reach Trident Hotel to hold joint meet. Uddhav to arrive shortly. They are likely to announce Uddhav as the leader of the alliance after the meet. (Photo: ANI)
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) workers seen holding posters stating "Ajit Dada, we love you" in Mumbai. Pawar resigned as deputy chief Minister of maharashtra, earlier today. (Photo: ANI)
The Devendra Fadnavis-led government in Maharashtra was based on "defections" and fell like a "house of cards", the Congress said on Tuesday, and asked Governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari to invite its alliance with the Shiv Sena and the NCP to form the government in the state. (PTI)
With the alliance of the Shiv Sena, NCP and the Congress likely to form government in Maharashtra, the BJP said on Tuesday that parties "rejected by people" in the Assembly polls have joined hands to "steal" popular mandate. The BJP also rejected the opposition's criticism over its decision to form government despite lacking numbers, with its spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao saying it had done so in "good faith" after being assured of the NCP's support by its leader Ajit Pawar. (PTI)
Shiv Sena, Congress, NCP leaders head to Trident Hotel for the three party meeting scheduled in the evening. They are likely to elect Uddhav Thackeray as the leader of the alliance. The alliance is also scheduled to meet the Maharashtra governor at 7 pm.
NCP leader Nawab Malik said Shiv Sena was not born to do communal politics, they came into existence to serve the people of Maharashtra, adding that Sena was spoiled after joining hand with the BJP.
NCP leader Nawab Malik said that Uddhav Thackeray will be the next CM of Maharashtra, adding that Sena, NCP, Cong will continue their alliance for next 20-25 years.
Protem Speaker Kolambkar: Tomorrow the first session of new assembly begins. From 8.00 am onwards oath will be administered to the MLAs.
Nawab Malik said the NCP-Shiv Sena-Congress alliance will last for a long time. "This is the start of BJP's end, BJP has become very arrogant," the NCP leader added. He also said that harad Pawar has said Uddhav Thackeray will be the Chief Minister. "Sharad Pawar saheb had said that Uddhav ji will be the Chief Minister and Uddhav ji has also agreed to this."
BJP MLA Kalidas Kolambkar takes oath as Protem Speaker at Raj Bhawan in Mumbai. Oath administered by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari.
Oath taking of the Shiv Sena-Congress-NCP government tomorrow, Maharashtra governor tells Speaker. The goveror now awaits the confirmation on the leader of the alliance.
Devendra Fadnavis, who resigned as the Maharashtra chief minister just three days after being sworn in for a second term, has now joined the list of the shortest serving CMs. Here are the others who feature in the list.
Senior Congress leaders KC Venugopal and Ahmed Patel leave for Mumbai. A joint party meeting and a press conference of Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP are scheduled in th evening before formally moving to stake claim on the Maharashtra government.
BJP MLA Kalidas Kolambkar to be Protem Speaker, he will take oath shortly in Raj Bhawan. Kolambkar says 'Oath of MLAs to be administered tomorrow when the session begins.
Maharashtra governor should shed his RSS-BJP cloak and invite 'Maha Vika Aghadi ' of Sena-NCP-Congress, said Cong spokesperson Manish Tewari. He also said the string of events in Maharshtra politics are putting the behaviour of the governor under the scanner.
Senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan on Tuesday said he has requested Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari to accept the resignation of Devendra Fadnavis and invite the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance led by Uddhav Thackeray to form government. "I have requested the governor to immediately accept the resignation and invite SS-NCP-Congress leader Uddhav Thackeray to form new government," he told PTI.
In the changed political dynamics in Maharashtra after the resignation of Devendra Fadnavis as chief minister, the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress combine has decided to elect Uddhav Thackeray as its leader to stake claim for government formation, a senior Sena leader said on Tuesday. Shiv Sena is the second largest party in the state Assembly with 56 MLAs, after the BJP which won 105 seats, and entitled to be invited by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari to stake claim for government formation after BJP's Fadnavis announced his resignation. (PTI)
Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar should apologise to the people of Maharashtra as their government was "based on lies and fell like a house of cards", the Congress said on Tuesday minutes after the Maharashtra chief minister stated he does not have a majority in the Assembly. Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the lack of majority of those "who kidnapped the people's mandate" has been exposed. (PTI)
Senior BJP leader Eknath Khadse on Tuesday dubbed Ajit Pawar's resignation as deputy chief minister of Maharashtra a "face saving act". The development resulted into the four-day-old BJP-led government losing its majority and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis resigning on Tuesday afternoon. (PTI)
Devendra Fadnavis submits his resignation to Maharashtra governor. After Ajit Pawar's resignation, the BJP had fallen short of numbers, said Fadnavis.
Prithviraj Chavan demanded Uddhav Thackeray to be invited to form the government immediately. "We demand that Uddhav Thackeray be invited to form government in Maharashtra immediately," Prithviraj Chavan told PTI.
Venugopal said there will be a joint press conference of Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP and a meeting. "Leader of joint legislative party will be elected in the meeting. I think Uddhav ji will be elected."
Congress' KC Venugopal on Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar's resignation: "This is a victory of constitutional democracy. They thought through horse trading they can form govt. This is not only a failure of Devendra Fadnavis but also a slap on faces of their masters sitting in Delhi."
A formal meeting of the MLAs of the Congress NCP and Sena slated to be held in the evening. Uddhav Thackeray to be elected a group leader. A formal move to stake claim on government formation will then be made before the Maharashtra governor.
Devendra Fadnavis reaches Raj Bhawan to submit his resignation from Maharashtra CM post. He said after resignation of Ajit Pawar from the deputy chief minsiter's post, the BJP doesn't have the required numbers to retain the government.
Asked if he thought Ajit Pawar extending support to the BJP was a strategy of NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Fadnavis said, "Sharad Pawar will be able to comment on this issue". "Ajit Pawar told me he was quitting due to personal reasons," Fadnavis said. (PTI)
"I would like to thank the people of Maharashtra for the love and trust they have shown in us. I would also like to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and JP Nadda for their constant support to us. I thank my cabinet members, the media, for their support. I assure the people of Maharashtra we will always fight for their causes," says Fadnavis.
Fadnavis: We never tried to break any party or were never involved in horse trading of MLAs. The Congress-NCP-Sena alliance will pull in different directions. But, we don't have the majority now, so have decided to work as an active opposition. We will be the voice of public.
Fadnavis: Shiv Sena lied to us and started talking to other parties. Shiv Sena claims to be a party that believes in Hindutva, but today, their Hindutva is bowing to Sonia Gandhi. They are swearing by Sonia Gandhi.
Ahead of the floor test, Devendra Fadnavis will resign as chief minister, he said. "Ajit Pawar told me he can't continue. We thought we had the support of entire NCP. After this press conference, I will go to the Governor and resign," Fadnavis said.
Fadnavis: As the assembly term was over, Governor invited us to form the government as the single largest party. They cannot form the government as the three parties in the alliance have completely different ideologies. They took days to arrive at a common minimum programme.
Fadnavis: It was never decided that Shiv Sena will get the post of Chief Minister. In every presser before the elections, this was specified. They threatened us after the election, but we told them that we will only give you what was decided.
Fadnavis: Maharashtra's people gave the BJP a popular mandate, giving 105 seats, We fought the election with the Shiv Sena. But we fought on almost 70 per cent of the seats. So, the mandate was particularly for the BJP.
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut says Ajit Pawar is with the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress combine now. "Ajit dada has resigned and he is with us. Uddhav Thackeray will be the Chief Minister of Maharashtra for five years," Raut says.
The Supreme Court gave the best gift to the nation on the Constitution Day on Tuesday by ordering the floor test in the Maharashtra Assembly tomorrow, said the lawyers for the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress combine which challenged the Governor's decision allowing Devendra Fadnavis to form the government in the state. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who appeared for the Secretary to the Governor, maintained that the order was "no setback" and it has to be respected and complied with. (PTI)
Jayant Patil, NCP, said he can comment on Ajit Pawar's resignation only after he gets the details of it. "It's you from whom I have come to know about the resignation of Ajit Pawar. I don't know about it, I would like to make a comment on it only after getting to know everything about it," Patil told reporters.
Ajit Pawar resigns from the Deputy CM post. He met CM Fadnavis moments after the Supreme Court ordered a floor test in the Maharashtra Assembly. Last week, Ajit was removed as the leader of NCP's legislature unit.
CM Fadnavis is scheduled to address the media today at 3.30 pm.
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis will be addressing the media at 3.30 pm today. Fadnavis held an urgent meeting with senior BJP leaders along with Dy CM Ajit Pawar, moments after the SC passed an order to conduct a floor test tomorrow in the state Assembly.