Month after results, Uddhav Thackeray takes oath as Maharashtra CM

The iconic Shivaji Park in Mumbai is the birthplace of Shiv Sena and the playground of generations of cricket players, including Sachin Tendulkar. On Thursday evening,

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray began his innings here as chief minister of Maharashtra, cementing a new non-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) coalition government in the country.

Over a month after results of the Assembly elections were declared on October 24, Thackeray was sworn in amid joyous victory chants by party supporters and sound of tutari (a traditional musical instrument) on a specially crafted stage with a fort-like decor and a statue of Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji.

Six other ministers (Eknath Desai and Subhash Desai from the Sena, Jayant Patil and Chhagan Bhujbal from the Nationalist Congress Party and Balasaheb Thorat and Nitin Raut from the Congress) were also sworn in by Governor B S Koshiyari.

Thackeray, who is not a member of either House of state legislature and the first from his family to assume a position of power, formed an unlikely alliance, the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi, with the Congress and the NCP to assume power.

Later, Thackeray held his first Cabinet meeting at Sahyadri Guest House. After the meeting, the new chief minister said his government will announce a big decision for giving relief to farmers in the state in two days.

He said the first decision of the Cabinet was to approve Rs 20 crore for conserving Raigad Fort, which was the capital of Shivaji. “We can paint a better picture if we know the reality. We have sought inputs. Farmers have not got anything, but only assurances. We want to provide concrete help to farmers,” he told reporters after the meeting.

“We want to ensure an atmosphere in the state wherein nobody will feel terrorised,” he said.

The swearing-in ceremony was graced by central leaders of both allies, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath, DMK leader

M K Stalin, and many others. NCP chief Sharad Pawar, who played a key in role in stitching together the alliance, came along with daughter Supriya Sule and nephew Ajit Pawar, who rebelled to help prop up the 80-hour government of Devendra Fadnavis only to return to his family later.

Mukesh Ambani, along with his wife Neeta, and Kumar Mangalam Birla represented India Inc at the event.

Thackeray, the third from his party to occupy the post, had invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress President Sonia Gandhi, and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the event but they skipped it. They,

however, sent him congratulatory messages.

In her letter to Thackeray, Gandhi said: “Shiv Sena, NCP and the Congress have come together under quite extraordinary circumstances at a time when the country faces unprecedented threats from the BJP.”

Modi congratulated the new chief minister in a tweet, saying, “I am confident he will work diligently for the bright future of Maharashtra.”

Fadnavis attended the event, along with the BJP’s state unit President Chandrakant Patil. Thackeray’s estranged cousin Raj, who runs the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, attended, too, and his presence drew applause among the crowd.

Thousands of party workers from the three allies thronged at the venue, which was dotted with Sena’s and Congress’ flags. Farmers from across the state were invited for the event to indicate the alliance's seriousness to resolve the agrarian distress.

“We are very happy to see Uddhav saheb being sworn in as chief minister and the saffron flag being unfurled in the state,” said a Sena activist who came from Konkan region. Dressed in a saffron kurta, Thackeray paid obeisance to Chhatrapati Shivaji, and his father and Sena founder Bal Thackeray, while Congress and NCP leaders credited Pawar and Gandhi for the tie-up.

Will finalise portfolio sharing in two days: Maharashtra Congress chief

Maharashtra Congress chief Balasaheb Thorat on Wednesday said the sharing of portfolios among the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress in the next state government will be finalised in a couple of days.

The 'Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi', comprising the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress along with some small parties and Independents, has decided to stake claim for government formation in the state after the BJP-led government collapsed on Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters after taking oath as member of the 14th state Assembly on Wednesday, Thorat, the Congress Legislature Party leader in the House, said, "The ratio of portfolio-sharing will be finalised in next two days. The number of Cabinet and Minister of State (MoS) posts to be given to each party will also be finalised in next two days."

The NCP has announced that Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray would be the next chief minister of Maharashtra.

He will be sworn in CM on Thursday evening at Shivaji Park in Dadar, the place where his party holds traditional Dussehra rally each year.

Thackeray is currently not a member of any House in the state legislature.

Asked whether Congress president Sonia Gandhi or party leader Rahul Gandhi would attend Thackeray's swearing-in ceremony, Thorat said, "Nothing has been finalised so far on this."

He also said that there will be more clarity on some issues, like speaker of the Assembly, after a couple of days.

Asked about rumours that he may be appointed the deputy chief minister, Thorat said, "I am not aware of any such possibility so far. I can't comment on any such speculation.

Maharashtra govt formation: Uddhav holds meeting with Shiv Sena legislators

As the government formation process picked momentum in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Friday met his party's legislators to discuss the political situation in the state.

Sena MLA Bhaskar Jadhav told PTI that the meeting was convened to apprise the legislators of the government formation process and meetings of Congress-NCP leaders in Delhi.

Thackeray met NCP president Sharad Pawar in Mumbai last night.

Jadhav said whatever decision Thackeray takes will be binding on all legislators of Shiv Sena. "We would like Uddhavji or Aaditya Thackeray to be the CM," he added.

Results of the October 21 Assembly polls were declared on October 24 and President's rule was imposed in the state on November 12 after no party or combine staked claim to form the new government.

The state was plunged into 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.

The BJP and Sena, which fought the Assembly polls in alliance, had secured a comfortable majority by winning 105 and 56 seats, respectively, in the 288-member Assembly. The Congress and the NCP, pre-poll allies, won 44 and 54 seats, respectively.

For the better part of this week, Delhi was the centre of marathon meetings between top leaders of the NCP and Congress to explore the possibility of forging an alliance with the Shiv Sena, a party whose ideology is poles apart from the duo.

BJP's newfound confidence in forming Maha govt hints at horse trading: Sena

The Shiv Sena alleged on Saturday that the BJP now exuding confidence of forming government in Maharashtra after backing off initially, makes its intention of horse-trading under the guise of President's rule evident.

In its mouthpiece Saamana, Sena also hit out at former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis over his remark that the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance won't last beyond six months, saying the new political equation was giving "stomach ache to several people".

Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil had on Friday said that they will soon form government in the state, claiming that his party can count on support of 119 MLAs in the 288-member Assembly.

"Those with 105 seats had earlier conveyed to the governor that they do not have the majority. How come are they now claiming that only they will form the government?" Sena said in Saamana.

"...the intention of horse-trading stand exposed now. The lies of those promising transparent governance are becoming evident now," it said, adding that "unethical" ways do not suit the tradition of the state.

Maharashtra has been under President's rule since Tuesday after no party or alliance staked claim to form government or conveyed support of adequate number of MLAs to Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari.

The Sena reached out to the Congress-NCP combine for government formation after its demand for sharing the chief minister's post and equal distribution of portfolios was rejected by the BJP, its pre-poll ally.

The BJP and the Sena, which fought the October 21 polls in alliance, secured a comfortable majority by winning 105 and 56 seats, respectively, in the 288-member assembly.

The Congress and the NCP, pre-poll allies, won 44 and 54 seats, respectively.

Referring to Union minister Nitin Gadkari's Friday comment in which he alluded to cricket, the Shiv Sena said, "Gadkari is not related to cricket. He is related to cement, ethanol, asphalt and other things."

On Friday, the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways had likened politics with cricket, saying "anything" could happen in both the fields as those who appear to be losing the match might actually win the game.

The Shiv Sena said that cricket has become more of a business than a game now.

There is "horse-trading and fixing" in cricket too, it alleged.

"Hence, the suspicion is always there whether it is the game that wins or the fixing (in cricket). Hence, Gadkari likening Maharashtra politics to the romantic game of cricket is apt," it said.

Shiv Sena not to mention plea in SC against Guv's refusal for more time

The Shiv Sena will not mention in the Supreme Court on Wednesday its plea challenging the governor's decision of not granting it 3 days time for getting letter of support for government formation in Maharashtra, according to the party lawyer.

The lawyer representing Shiv Sena in the apex court told PTI that the party has preferred not to mention the petition.

Advocate Sunil Fernandes, who had filed the petition on behalf of the Shiv Sena, said on Tuesday that the Supreme Court had asked them to mention the writ petition at 10:30 AM on Wednesday.

The lawyer said another petition challenging the imposition of President's rule in the state was being readied.

The Shiv Sena had on Tuesday moved the apex court challenging the Maharashtra governor's decision but failed to get an urgent hearing in the matter.

The Shiv Sena had sought a direction from the apex court to quash the Governor's decision of not giving it the opportunity to prove majority on the floor of the House.

The party had claimed it was invited to form the government on Monday and had indicated its willingness to do so on Tuesday.

In the petition, the Sena had contended that the governor's decision was violative of articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution.

The plea had said the governor's decision rejecting the claim of the Shiv Sena, which is the second largest party with 56 MLAs, to form government is "ex facie arbitrary, unconstitutional and violative of article 14".

The Shiv Sena was invited to form the state government on November 10 and the petitioner had indicated its willingness to form the government on November 11, it said

In the 288-member Maharashtra assembly, the BJP emerged as the single largest party but fell short of the majority of 145 by 40 seats.

The Shiv Sena, which was a BJP ally, garnered 56 seats. While the NCP had 54 seats and Congress had 44.

In the petition, the Shiv Sena had made the ministry of home affairs, the Maharashtra government and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP as respondents.

The petition had said as per constitutional conventions and practices, the governor is duty-bound to allow reasonable time for political parties to conclude their negotiation on government formation and not act as an "agent or mouthpiece of the central government".

The governor has to allow reasonable time to political outfits to present the conclusion of their negotiations before taking a decision to reject any claim to form government, it said.

The Union Cabinet on Tuesday recommended President's rule in Maharashtra even as top leaders from the NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena held a flurry of consultations in a bid to tot up the numbers and resolve the impasse over government formation in the state since the assembly polls last month.

Sonia, top Cong leaders consider Maharashtra options; Pawar meets NCP MLAs

A meeting of the Congress working committee is underway on Monday morning to decide on whether to support the Shiv Sena in forming the government in Maharashtra, sources said.

Top Congress leaders are discussing the issue at a crucial meeting of the working committee chaired by party chief Sonia Gandhi, according to the sources. The CWC is the highest decision-making body of the Congress.

Hectic deliberations have started since Sunday over the Congress' participation in government formation in Maharashtra after the Shiv Sena was invited by the governor to form the government.

Senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Monday said if the BJP was not willing to fulfil its promise of sharing the chief minister's post in Maharashtra, there was no point in continuing the alliance.

Reaching out to the opposition parties, Raut said the Congress and the NCP should bury their internal differences to come up with a 'common minimum programme' in the interest of Maharashtra.

Sena leader Arvind Sawant, the lone party minister in the Narendra Modi cabinet, on Monday announced his decision to quit the NDA government at the Centre.

Meanwhile, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar said his party will take a decision pertaining to government formation in Maharashtra only after holding discussions with Congress.

Asked about Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant's resignation as Union Minister, Pawar told media here, "I have not had a word with anyone regarding anyone's resignation. We will have a word with Congress today. Whatever decision is to be taken will be taken only after discussions with Congress."

Pawar is a chairing party's core group meeting here to discuss the current political situation in the state after BJP despite being the single largest party expressed its inability to form the government owing to its differences with ally Shiv Sena.

Praful Patel, Supriya Sule, Ajit Pawar, Jayant Patil are also present in the meeting.

"In the meeting we will discuss the future course of action. We had said that first Shiv Sena should split from NDA... Discussion will be held on what agenda government will be formed," NCP leader Nawab Malik said.

NCP has 54 MLAs while its alliance partner Congress bagged 44 seats in Assembly polls.

Maharashtra deadlock: Key Shiv Sena leader meets Pawar, sparks speculation

A week after the Assembly poll results were out in Maharashtra, deadlock over power sharing between the BJP and ally Shiv Sena continued on Thursday as developments in the opposition Congress-NCP camp triggered talks of possible formation of an alternative government.

The day saw a series of meetings between senior leaders of major non-BJP parties, triggering talks in political circles about possibility of the Sena forming a government with the backing of opposition parties.

The Shiv Sena rubbished reports of a climbdown and on Thursday again indicated it had not given up its claim on the post of chief minister and 50:50 division of portfolios.

Both these demands have been rejected by the BJP which has insisted that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will continue in the post for the next five years.

Adopting a harsh tone, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party on Thursday accused the BJP of enacting "second act" of the "use and throw" policy while dealing with its ally.

Whatever was decided when the two parties stitched up alliance before the Lok Sabha elections should be implemented, the Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' said in an editorial.

Sena MP Sanjay Raut described as "rumours" reports that his party has softened its stand on the issue of sharing power with senior partner BJP.

Raut, the executive editor of 'Saamana', described reports in a section of the media alluding to the 'softening of stand' by the Sena as hearsay.

"The (reports that) Sena has softened (its stand), has compromised and relinquished equitable distribution of posts, are all rumours," he tweeted.

"This is the public, which knows everything. Whatever will was decided (between BJP and Sena), will happen," he added.

Maharashtra minister Eknath Shinde was on Thursday elected as the Sena's leader in the state legislature. His candidature was proposed by party leader Aaditya Thackeray, whose name was also doing the rounds for the post, at a meeting of newly-elected MLAs.

At the meeting, Sena sources said, party president Uddhav Thackeray was apparently dismayed by Fadnavis's remarks that sharing the CM's post did not figure in the talks between top Sena and BJP leaders ahead of this year's Lok Sabha polls.

Asked about the delay in government formation after the October 21 elections, Aaditya Thackeray said his party has given all authority in the matter to Sena chief and his father Uddhav Thackeray.

The 29-year-old Thackeray family scion was speaking to reporters after meeting Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari with whom he raised the issue crop loss due to unseasonal rain in various parts of the state.

Meanwhile, a day after the Congress-NCP claimed they will sit in the opposition, different signals emanated from the opposition camp.

Congress leaders Balasaheb Thorat, Ashok Chavan and Prithviraj Chavan flew to Delhi to meet party chief Sonia Gandhi amid talks in political circles about possibility of the Sena forming a government with support from opposition parties.

Earlier in the day, the three Maharashtra Congress leaders met NCP chief Sharad Pawar at the latter's residence.

Later in the evening, Raut met Pawar, sources in the Sena said.

What transpired between Raut and Pawar was not immediately known, but it sparked speculation about efforts being made for possible formation of a non-BJP government.

"The three leaders are in Delhi for a meeting with the party president (Gandhi)," sources in the Congress said.

They said the meeting is taking place after Pawar told the troika in the morning that they should speak to the Congress high command on the current situation and take approval on the steps to be taken.

Amid all this, Prithviraj Chavan said in case the Shiv Sena sends any proposal over government formation, the same will be conveyed to the party's central leadership.

In the just-held state polls, the BJP won 105 seats, a loss of 17 seats compared to its 2014 tally.

The Sena's tally also came down to 56 seats from 63 in 2014. A resurgent NCP won 54 and the Congress bagged 44 seats.

The simple majority mark in the 288-member assembly is 145.

Shiv Sena not promised CM's post for two-and-a-half years: Fadnavis

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said the Shiv Sena was not promised the CM's post for two-and-a-half years when the alliance was formalised before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Amid the ongoing tussle between the BJP and Shiv Sena over sharing of power in the next state government, Fadnavis asserted he will be the chief minister for next five years.

He also expressed displeasure over the Shiv Sena's mouthpiece 'Saamana' frequently targeting the BJP, saying its role was to "derail" the talks.

"There should be no doubt in anybody's mind that it will be a BJP-led government for next five years," Fadnavis told reporters at his official residence 'Varsha' here.

Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray last week reminded the BJP of the 50:50 formula "agreed upon" between himself, BJP president Amit Shah and Fadnavis ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

The Sena demanded a written assurance from the BJP for implementing "equal formula for sharing of power" before holding talks on staking the claim to form the next alliance government in the state.

Commenting on the issue, Fadnavis said, "I have confirmed with Amit Shah and he told me that the BJP has not given any assurance for the chief minister's post for two- and-a-half years (each for the BJP and Sena) when the alliance was formalised before the Lok Sabha polls." Asked what was then the '50:50 formula', he said, "You will know soon."

To a query if the BJP will give the deputy chief minister's post to the Sena, Fadnavis said, "Appropriate decision will be taken."

The BJP-led alliance will provide a "stable and efficient" government for next five years, he said.

On the Sena talking about other options, Fadnavis said both the allies have no other alternative.

"We will form the government together. Reasonable demands on merit will be considered when we sit to talk government formation. There is no plan B. Plan A is successful," he said.

Fadnavis also expressed resentment over editorials in 'Saamana' against the BJP.

"The paper's role is to derail the talks. Will the paper take a hard stand on Congress-NCP?" he asked.

He said the BJP Legislature Party will elect its new leader on Wednesday.

On who will be the chief minister, Fadnavis said, "You have any doubt? It has already been decided. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already announced the name and now it is a mere formality."

He was apparently referring to Modi's statement during campaigning for polls that Fadnavis will lead the coalition.

Fadnavis said Amit Shah will not be attending the legislature party meeting on Wednesday.

To another question, the chief minister said he is satisfied with the mandate.

"We expected to be in the first merit, but got first class first. Since 1990, no political party has got a good strike rate like the BJP in 2019," he said.

Asked when the government formation will take place, he said, "You will know soon."

Shiv Sena's political clout may take a hit in Maharashtra, show exit polls

Most exit polls have predicted that saffron supremacy is there to stay in Maharashtra. The silver lining for the Congress-NCP alliance is that it may get to almost double the tally from six in 2014.

The NDA, which had amassed 42 seats out of 48 in 2014, is likely to settle down at 35 to 36, an average of eight polls suggests. Shiv Sena, a part of the NDA, had won 18 seats in 2014, but now it's projected to win 11 to 13 seats, according to some of the polls. This may result in Shiv Sena taking a bigger brunt of the loss, while Sharad Pawar-led NCP could be a net gainer. This could have three key outcomes that could alter the structure of Maharashtra politics further.

First, it could diminish the political importance of Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, its only home, and could further reduce its bargaining power with the BJP. Second, Congress’ decline in Maharashtra could exacerbate if exit polls hold true. Third, this could mean a better prospect for the Nationalist Congress Party to be the biggest opposition force in the upcoming Assembly elections.

Shiv Sena's political clout may take a hit in Maharashtra, say exit polls

In the immediate future, there is a chance that the NCP might offer a helping hand to the single largest party if such a situation arises for government formation. A bigger impact could come when Maharashtra will elect a new Assembly in October. Maharshtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray topped the charts in pulling crowds to rallies during the Lok Sabha campaign, without contesting.

When the MNS contests key urban seats in October, Thackeray could be a big factor, political observers say. A revived NCP led by state leaders such as Ajit Pawar has the potential to raise the pitch in Maharashtra politics. The Congress-NCP state alliance had won 84 seats out of 288 in 2014 assembly polls. In the backdrop of a minor rise in NCP seats, fall in Shiv Sena’s footprint, coupled with the possibility that MNS could win some seats, the Opposition has only a thin chance to pose a serious threat to BJP-Shiv Sena in the Assembly elections. However, the biggest message from the exit polls is for the Congress: that it might need to buckle up afresh.