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Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday, 3 December, held a review meeting of ongoing development projects in the state.
Uddhav on Sunday, said that he had ordered that the cases filed against environmentalists, during the agitation against the construction of the metro car shed in Aarey Colony, be withdrawn.
The Maha Vikas Aghadi candidate (MVA) and Congress leader Nana Patole has been elected unopposed as Maharashtra Assembly Speaker, after BJP withdrew its candidate.
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After a stalemate of over a month, Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray will be sworn in as the chief minister of Maharashtra at Shivaji Park in Dadar, Mumbai, on Thursday, 28 November.
National leaders cutting across party lines have been invited for the oath-taking ceremony.
Elaborate security arrangements are being made, a police official said, adding that adequate security personnel, drones and CCTV cameras will be used to monitor the crowd, according to PTI.
NCP leader Praful Patel spoke to the media on Wednesday, hinting at the completion of talks about sharing of portfolios and other issues regarding government formation.
He added that while it had not been decided how many ministers will take oath tomorrow, one or two MLAs from each party would be taking oath.
He further said that the Speaker would be from Congress and the Deputy CM would be from NCP. He also added that there will be only one deputy CM.
Maharashtra CM-candidate Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday invited PM Modi for his oath-taking ceremony over a phone call, their first conversation after the Sena broke alliance with the BJP and parted ways with the NDA.
Preparations are underway at Shivaji Park for the swearing-in ceremony of Uddhav Thackeray as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
DMK Chief Stalin arrives in Mumbai to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the new government of the state, the ‘Maha Vikas Aghadi', led by Uddhav Thackeray as the chief minister.
Responding to whether Ajit Pawar has gone incommunicado, NCP sources told ANI that he has “intentionally” switched-off his mobile phone to avoid frequent calls.
The Shiv Sena-NCP-Cong combine will release their Common Minimum Programme for Maharashtra at 4 pm on Thursday, 28 November, ahead of the Uddhav Thackeray’s swearing-in.
Congress' Balasaheb Thorat, Shiv Sena's Eknath Shinde and NCP's Jayant Patil are expected to address the press conference.
Ajit Pawar arrives at Silver Oak, residence of NCP chief Sharad Pawar. Party leaders Jayant Patil and Praful Patel are already present at the residence.
Ajit Pawar confirmed that he will not take oath today, while sources told The Quint that a decision about his role in the government will be taken post the trust vote in the Maharashtra Assembly.
The Shiv Sena-NCP-Cong combine on Thursday, 28 November, released the common minimum programme for the three parties ahead of the swearing-in ceremony of Uddhav Thackeray as the chief minister of Maharashtra.
The three-party alliance promises immediate assistance and loan waiver for farmers. The alliance also plants to revise crop insurance scheme to ensure immediate compensation to the farmers who have lost their crops.
Speaking to the media on the issues that the BJP government was big on in alliance with the Shiv sena in the previous government, Eknath Shinde said that they will be discussed in the cabinet meet.
“The Nanar Refinery Project and bullet train project will be taken up in our Cabinet meeting,” he said.
Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi in the CPP meet attacked the BJP and congratulated the party for its performance in Maharashtra and Haryana.
“The election results in Haryana and Maharashtra proved those predicting doom were hopelesly wrong. I want to congratulate our colleagues in these states who put a very creditable performance. The results certainly punctured the BJP’s self importance and boosted our party’s morale. The BJP will use every method including intimidation, hoping to scare us into submision. But, we will not buckle under pressure, we will fight every battle with grit and determination,” she said.
Sonia Gandhi in a letter to Uddhav Thackeray said that the Shiv Sena, NCP and the Congress have come together under quite extraordinary circumstances, at a time when country faces unprecedented threats from BJP.
“I regret that I'll not be able to be present at the ceremony (oath-taking),” she said.
Samajwadi Party leader and veteran Bollywood actor Jaya Bachchan congratulated Uddhav Thackeray on becoming the chief minister of Maharashtra.
“Thackeray family and we share a deep and old relationship. My heartiest congratulations to him (Uddhav) on becoming Chief Minister. I sincerely hope he works towards the betterment of Maharashtra, provides relief to farmers and gives youth employment,” she said.
After the swearing in ceremony, Uddhav Thackeray will hold first cabinet meeting at Sahyadri guest house at 8 pm.
Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi wrote to Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and expressed regret over not being able to attend his oath taking ceremony.
“I am glad that Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi has come together to defeat the BJP's attempt to undermine our democracy. I regret that I am unable to be present at the function,” he said.
Supreme Court on Friday will hear a petition filed by Pramod Pandit Joshi, the spokesperson of Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha, seeking a direction that the SC should pass an order against the post-poll alliance in Maharashtra and it be declared as unconstitutional and null and void.
The stage for Uddhav Thackeray’s oath taking ceremony lights up at Mumbai’s Shivaji park.
DMK Chief MK Stalin, DMK leader TR Baalu with Congress leader Ahmed Patel and NCP leader Praful Patel are present at the oath ceremony of Uddhav Thackeray and other Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders.
MNS chief Raj Thackeray, also the estranged cousin of Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray arrives at venue.
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh wrote to Uddhav Thackeray congratulating him on becoming the Maharashtra chief minister.
“I am very happy to know that you are taking oath as the 19th Chief Minister of Maharashtra. It is a historic event and I commend you on your visionary leadership,” he wrote.
Devendra Fadnavis has arrived at the swearing-in ceremony of Uddhav Thackeray at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park. Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari is also present.
NCP leaders Ajit Pawar, Chhagan Bhujbal and Praful Patel have arrived at Shivaji Park for the oath-taking ceremony of Uddhav Thackeray.
Mukesh Ambani, along with wife Nita and son Anant have arrived for the oath-taking ceremony of Uddhav Thackeray.
Maharashtra Chief Minister designate Uddhav Thackeray will be taking oath shortly.
Crowd overflows at Shivaji Park, while crackers burst outside the venue as Uddhav Thackeray bows on stage in salutation.
Shiv Sena leaders Eknath Shinde and Subhash Desai take oath as ministers.
NCP leader Jayant Rajaram Patil takes oath as minister in Mumbai.
NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal has also taken oath as a minister.
Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat has taken oath as a minister.
Congress leader Nitin Raut has taken oath as a minister.
Aerial view of Shivaji Park during the Maharashtra ministry swearing-in ceremony at Shivaji Park.
The oath-taking ceremony of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and others has concluded.
Prime Minister Modi congratulated Uddhav Thackeray on taking oath as the chief minister of Maharashtra.
Shiv Sena workers celebrate in Jammu, after Uddhav Thackeray takes oath as Maharashtra Chief Minister in Mumbai.
BJP’s Poonam Mahajan while attacking the Sena-NCP-Congress alliance said that the government will not last long.
“Congratulations to Uddhavji on becoming Maharashtra CM. We'll see how far their 3-wheeler cart go. Only Sharad Pawarji is keeping this unnatural alliance together, Congress doesn't even have 10 percent say in the government. They are just watching over from Delhi,” she said.
Shiv Sena leader Neelam Gorhe said that the dream of Shiv Sainiks have come true.
“We are truly overwhelmed with joy and the responsibility given by all the parties. As CM, we have been chosen as the leader of Sena-NCP-Congress alliance. We have been coming to the same ground for years now, our dream has been fulfilled only today,” she said.
Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, along with his wife Rashmi and their sons Aaditya Tejas Thackeray offer prayers at Siddhivinayak Temple.
State Ministers Chhagan Bhujbal and Subhash Desai arrive at Sahyadri guest house for the first cabinet meeting.
Uddhav Thackeray chairs first cabinet meet at Mumbai's Sahyadri guest house after taking oath as Maharashtra CM.
NCP leader Ajit Pawar and Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray is also present.
Shiv Sena ministers Eknath Shinde and Subhash Desai, Congress ministers Balasaheb Thorat and Nitin Raut and NCP ministers Chhagan Bhujbal and Jayant Patil were seen arriving at the venue of the meeting in south Mumbai.
Other leaders who arrived at Sahyadri Guest House included Dilip Walase Patil of the NCP; Shiv Sena MPs Rajan Vichare, Anil Desai and Shrikant Shinde, and Sena Member of Legislative Council Anil Parab.
Uddhav Thackeray, in his first address to the media after becoming the chief minister said that a decision to benefit farmers has been taken in the first cabinet meet chaired by him.
“I thank all the people of the state and want to assure that we will provide good governance,” he said.
“I am happy to tell you all that the first decision that this cabinet has taken is to approve Rs 20 Crores for the development of Raigad which was the capital of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj,” he announced.
Saying that the interest of the interests of the farmers is his government’s top priority, Thackeray said that authorities have been ordered to provide him with a full report.
“I have asked officials to provide me with complete information on state and centre schemes for farmers, in the next two days. Once I get all details, I will take a decision accordingly” he said.
“I want the truth. The loan waivers were announced by the government, but the benefits didn’t really reach people. We want to see that the money actually reaches the hands of the farmers,” he said.
JD(S) patriarch and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda on Thursday congratulated the Shiv Sena, NCP and the Congress for forming a government in Maharashtra, and termed it as a “tight slap” on the face of those trying to destroy the country's democratic fabric.
“Congratulations to @ShivSena, @NCPspeaks and @INCMaharashtra on forming the Govt.in Maharashtra.This is a tight slap on the face of those trying to destroy the democratic fabric that holds our Nation together,” Gowda tweeted.
Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav congratulated the “Maha Vikas Aghadi” government, stating that the new alliance of “secularism and socialism” will put an end to BJP's “achhe din”.
“I congratulate the new 'Maha Vikas Aghadi' government in Maharashtra and new CM Uddhav Thackeray. This new alliance of secularism and socialism is the beginning of a new political era in national politics,” he said in a tweet in Hindi.
"BJP's 'achhe din' (good days) are over," the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister added.
Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday started vacating the official CM residence in South Mumbai.
A vehicle of a professional packers and movers company arrived at 'Varsha', the official CM bungalow in the upscale Malabar Hill area, in the afternoon to shift his belongings, a police official posted there said.
NCP leader Jayant Patil who took oath as Maharashtra minister on Thursday and attended the first cabinet meet, said there will be a coordination committee of six ministers including the CM within the government. "There will be an external committee which will guide the government so as to achieve its goals," Patil added, according to ANI.
Activists and residents fighting to prevent a Metro car shed from being built at Aarey in Mumbai, attended the swearing-in ceremony of Uddhav Thackery on Thursday, to remind the Sena chief of his promise to take action against those responsible for "murdering Aarey" if voted to power.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi must cooperate with "younger brother" Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, says Shiv Sena editorial in their editorial in 'Saamana.'
The Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government of the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance may face floor test in the Assembly on Saturday, 29 November, sources told The Quint.
The floor test is "most likey" to be held on Saturday, the Vidhan Bhawan sources said.
Governor B K Koshyari has asked Thackeray to prove majority by 3 December.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA Dilip Walse Patil appointed as Protem Speaker of the state assembly.
A special session of the Maharashtra assembly called for tomorrow.
After taking charge, CM Uddhav Thackeray held a meeting with senior officers at Mantralaya and instructed them to start development related works immediately and be cautious against wastage of public money, ANI reported.
Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray ordered for the construction of Metro carshed in Mumbai’s Aarey Colony to be put on hold.
“I have ordered to stop the work of Aarey metro car shed project today. Metro work will not stop but till next decision, not a single leaf of Aarey will be cut,” he said.
“We are not against the metro, but the decision of the carshed being in Aarey colony needs to be given second thought,” Thackeray added.
The Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government of the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance will face floor test in the Maharashtra Assembly on Saturday.
The floor test will be held in the afternoon, a Vidhan Bhavan official told PTI.
Governor B S Koshyari has asked Thackeray to prove majority by 3 December.
The Maha Vikas Aghadi to hold a meeting at Vidhan Bhavan at 9.30 am on Saturday, 30 November, ahead of the floor test.
Ahead of the floor test on 30 November, NCP leader Ajit Pawar paid a visit to BJP MP Prataprao Chikhalikar's house.
Congress MLA Nana Patole will be the party's candidate for Speaker elections, announces Balasaheb Thorat.
BJP leader Chandrakant Patil accused the Maha Vikas Aghadi of "not taking oath as per rules", stating that they will file a petition with Governor and might even approach the Supreme Court.
He announced that Kisan Kathore will be the BJP candidate for assembly Speaker.
The NCP on Saturday, 30 November, said that the Deputy chief minister's post will stay with the party and will be filled post Nagpur Assembly session.
The Nagpur session will end around 22 December.
The Shiv Sena and NCP have issued whips to their MLAs to be present in the Assembly today.
Former Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis raises objection as Maharashtra Assembly session begins.
As BJP alleges flouting of norms ahead of floor test, pro-tem Speaker Dilip Patil cites Supreme Court.
Responding to Fadnavis, pro-tem Speaker Patil said:
The Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government of the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance won the floor test in the Maharashtra Assembly on Saturday.
Altogether 169 MLAs vote in favour of the motion of confidence, pro tem Speaker Dilip Walse Patil informed the House.
Four MLAs abstained, he said.
Nobody voted against the motion as all the 105 MLAs had walked out of the 288-member House, boycotting the floor test, before head count of MLAs began.
Two All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) MLAs, the one CPI(M) MLA and one MLA from MNS abstained from voting.
Following the floor test, Maharashtra assembly has been adjourned till Sunday.
The NCP on Saturday accused the BJP of running away from the House after the opposition party staged a walkout before the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government faced a floor test.
The NCP's chief spokesperson Nawab Malik said Walse Patil was appointed as pro-tem Speaker with Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari's consent. The session too was convened after Koshyari's approval, he said.
"They wanted some excuse to run away, that's why all this (ruckus). Devendra ji (BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis) should take lessons from (senior BJP leader Eknath) Khadse on how an opposition leader should work," Malik said.
The NCP is likely to get 14 ministries including home and finance in the Maharashtra cabinet, sources told The Quint on Saturday.
Shiv Sena too might have 14 minitries, apart from the CM's post. These portfolios include Urban Development, Water Resources and Rural Development, among others.
The third partner in the alliance, Congress might get 13 ministries, including Revenue, Energy and PWD, according to the sources.
The election for Maharashtra assembly's speaker will be held on Sunday, 1 December, at 11am.
Former Maharashtra Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis has arrived at the Assembly as Maharashtra is all set to elect its Speaker today, reported ANI.
Protem Speaker Dilip Walse Patil has called for a meeting of all party leaders.
BJP has withdrawn its candidate from the Maharahtra Assembly's Speaker election. NCP leader Chagan Bhujbal told ANI, "Earlier, Opposition also filled form for the post of Assembly Speaker, but after request by other MLAs and to keep dignity of Assembly intact, they have taken back the name. Now, election of Speaker to happen unopposed."
Congress leader and Maha Vikas Aghadi's candidate Nana Patole likely to be elected unopposed as Maharashtra Assembly Speaker after BJP withdraws its candidate.
Chandrakant Patil, Maharashtra BJP President told ANI, "BJP had nominated Kisan Kathore for the post of Maharashtra Assembly Speaker, yesterday. But, after incumbents' request, we have decided to withdraw Kathore's candidature."
Congress leader Nana Patole has been elected unopposed as Maharashtra Assembly Speaker, after BJP withdrew its candidate.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said, "Nana Patole has also come from a farmer family and I am very confident that he will give justice to everyone."
On BJP withdrawing its candidature, former Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis said, "We had nominated Kisan Kathore for the post of assembly speaker, but in all-party meeting, other parties requested us and it has been a tradition that speaker is appointed unopposed, so we accepted the request and withdrew our candidate's name," reported ANI.
BJP leader former Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis has been elected as Leader of Opposition of Maharashtra Assembly.
‘Still with the ideology of Hindutva,’ Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said in the Maharashtra Assembly on Sunday, 1 December.
“I have learnt a lot of things from Devendra Fadvanis and I will always be friends with him. I am still with the ideology of 'Hindutva' and won't ever leave it. In past five years, I've never betrayed the government,” he said, ANI reported.
Further, he taunted Fadnavis over the latter's impassioned pre-poll "Me punha yein" (I will return) assertion which had evoked many social media memes.
The BJP could not come to power in Maharashtra despite emerging as the single largest party because "political arithmetic prevailed over merit, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Devendra Fadnavis said on Sunday.
On taunts over his pre-poll "Me punha yein" (I will return) assertion, Fadnavis admitted that he did say so, but forgot to give a time-table for it.
"...you need to wait for some time," he added.
Maharashtra Assembly's Lower House has been adjourned till 16 December.
(Source: ANI)
Notwithstanding the ruling Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress combine mentioning the word "secular" in the preamble of its Common Minimum Programme (CMP), Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday said he would never abandon the ideology of Hindutva.
Thackeray told the Legislative Assembly that the ideology of Hindutva cannot be separated from him.
"I am still with the ideology of Hindutva which cannot be separated from me," he said while addressing the special session.
Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday said that he had ordered that the cases filed against environmentalists, during the agitation against the construction of the metro car shed in Aarey Colony, be withdrawn.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has ordered a review of all on-going development projects in the state, including the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train, PTI reported.
The bullet train project has faced stiff opposition from farmers and tribals whose lands are to be acquired.
"This government is of the common man. Like you asked now, yes, we will review the bullet train (project). Have I stayed the bullet train project like Aarey car shed? No, I haven't," Thackeray said.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has ordered to withdraw the cases registered against protesters who agitated against the Nanar Refinery project, ANI reported.
Nationalist Congress Party MLC Prakash Gajbhiye has written to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, seeking the withdrawal of cases filed against Dalits in the Bhima Koregaon violence, ANI reported.
NCP MLA Dhananjay Munde has also asked CM Thackeray to withdraw the cases.
Maharashtra minister Jayant Patil said on Tuesday, 3 December that Maharashtra has Rs 6 lakh 71 thousand crore of debt burden. He added that a meeting is being held to review the state’s ability to repay it, what is the speed of the projects currently underway and how these projects can be completed as quickly as possible, ANI reported.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray holds a review meeting of ongoing development projects in the state.
“We have not imposed any ban on any project in the meeting today, there will be emphasis on speedy implementation of all the projects. We have not taken any decision on bullet train project yet,” Uddhav said, speaking to ANI after the meeting.
With reference to the Bhima Koregaon cases, Uddhav said, “Previous government had ordered withdrawal of the cases in connection with Bhima Koregaon case. First, we are assessing if it was implemented.”