Maharashtra Government Formation: Fadnavis Resigns, Uddhav Thackeray Set To Become Chief Minister
Catch all live updates on the Maharashtra government formation here.
After Fadnavis' Resignation, Uddhav Thackeray To Be Chief Minister
The Maha Vikas Aghadi--a three-way alliance between Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress--is set to form the government in Maharashtra led by Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray.
The three-way alliance submitted their claim to form the government to the Maharashtra Governor BS Koshyari. Thackeray will be sworn in as the chief minister of Maharashtra at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 28, said NCP leader Jayant Patil outside the Raj Bhavan after meeting the governor.
The resolution to anoint Thackeray as the leader of the alliance was passed at a joint meeting in Trident Hotel, Mumbai, just hours after BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis resigned citing lack of support for his government.
“I had never dreamed of leading the state,” Thackeray, who will go on to become the first chief minister from his family, said while addressing the alliance’s MLAs. “We are giving a new direction to the country by keeping faith in each other.”
Thackeray also said his government will not be vengeful. “The fight is not personal, my government will not work in a vindictive way.”
“I will go to Delhi to meet my ‘elder brother’ after the government is formed,” he said, referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi who had called him his “younger brother” during campaign rallies.
He thanked Congress President Sonia Gandhi for supporting the alliance. “I want to thank Sonia ji also. Parties with different ideologies have come together. Those who were friends for 30 years, did not trust us. But those against whom we fought for 30 years have trusted me.”
Fadnavis’ 80-Hour Reign
Fadnavis’ resignation was shortly after his Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar stepped down and returned to the Congress-NCP-Sena alliance.
Addressing a media conference earlier, Fadnavis said he will resign as he doesn’t have the required numbers to form a government without the support of Ajit Pawar. Fadnavis said when Ajit Pawar came to them pledging NCP’s support, they approached the Governor and formed the government. “Now that Ajit Pawar has resigned, I will also tender my resignation,” he said.
Fadnavis, however, added that as the single largest party it will be a formidable opposition in the state assembly. “We wish them all the best, we are fairly confident that such a contradictory three-wheeled alliance will not last.”
BJP will act as an effective opposition in Maharashtra, raise people’s issues.Devendra Fadnavis, Leader, BJP
Other highlights from Fadnavis’ press conference
- In elections, clear majority was given to Mahayuti and BJP got maximum 105 seats.
- We contested with Shiv Sena, but this mandate was for BJP because BJP won 70 percent seats out of all seats we contested.
- Shiv Sena told us before election, that they will go with anyone which gives them the CM post.
- Thank Shiv Sena for the five years of alliance’s government in Maharashtra
- Did not compromise on any investigation in cases related to Ajit Pawar.
- Decision to ally with Ajit Pawar was made at state level, communicated to the central leadership.
Watch the full press conference and BloombergQuint’s analysis of the developments.
'Maha Vikas Aghadi' Is Formed
Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde has moved a resolution to give birth to Maha Vikas Aghadi--a three-way alliance between Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress at the joint meeting at Trident Hotel.
All MLAs have passed the resolution.
The alliance will have a coordination committee.
Joint Meeting Of Shiv Sena, Congress, NCP
Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP will hold a joint meeting at the Trident Hotel in Mumbai. MLAs and senior leaders of all three parties have started arriving.
Protem Speaker Appointed
BJP’s MLA Kalidas Kolambkar has taken oath as the Protem speaker.
'A Comma On BJP's March': Congress
The Congress said that how Fadnavis was sworn in as the chief minister will be a day “recorded in black letters in history”
“The question today is not that truth has won. Truth has triumphed in Maharashtra. The larger question is, and we do hope the Supreme Court goes into that, is the manner in which the Constitution, rules, regulations, precedents, traditions were completely disregarded,” said Congress leader Manish Tewari in a media conference.
“What has happened today is the first comma in the unrelenting, unscrupulous manner in which opposition governments have been toppled or have been sought to be toppled in the past by the NDA government,” he said.
