Locked in a protracted power tussle with the BJP in Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena, the NCP and the Congress “paraded” 162 MLAs in a Mumbai five-star hotel on November 25 evening in a show of united strength.
The move came hours after the leaders of the three parties submitted a letter to Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari claiming that they have the requisite numbers to form government.
Which combine will win the floor test in Maharashtra Assembly? Who is legally the leader of NCP Legislature Party? Is the early morning swearing-in valid? The answers to some of these questions are still unknown as the Supreme Court reserved its order on the Maharashtra floor test issue for November 26.
Maharashtra politics live updates | Show of strength by non-BJP parties at Hotel Hyatt
Here are the latest political developments in Maharashtra:
9.38 pm: Some Opposition parties led by the Congress are likely to boycott the joint sitting of Parliament on Tuesday called to commemorate the Constitution Day and will hold a protest against the political developments in Maharashtra.
9.19 pm:A day before the Supreme Court rules on floor test for Maharashtra government led by Devendra Fadnavis whose swearing-in has been challenged by Shiv Sena- NCP-Congress combine, the three parties paraded 162 MLAs in a show of strength here.
9.00 pm: NCP chief Sharad Pawar told a gathering of MLAs that he would personally ensure that none of them loses membership for voting against the BJP during floor test in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.
7.32 pm: Hitting out at the BJP-Ajit Pawar government in Maharashtra, the Congress alleged that the only decision it has taken in “public interest” was to close corruption cases and demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi to come clean on the issue.
5.32 pm: The Shiv Sena, the NCP and the Congress will “parade” 162 MLAs in a five-star hotel in Mumbai on Monday evening as a proof of their combined strength in the 288-member Assembly, senior Sena leader Sanjay Raut said.
4.24 pm: Vehement protests by opposition members, especially those from the Congress, in the Lok Sabha over the political crisis in Maharashtra forced adjournment of the House proceedings for the day, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi dubbing the developments in the state as “murder of democracy”.
3.14 pm: Congress president Sonia Gandhi led a protest in Parliament premises against the BJP’s move to form the government in Maharashtra as senior leaders from the opposition party raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
2.49 pm: The Congress said its alliance with the NCP and the Shiv Sena had the support of 154 MLAs and the BJP will get a “befitting reply” in the Maharashtra Assembly floor test.
2.42 pm: NCP chief Sharad Pawar said he was not behind Ajit Pawar’s decision to align with the BJP and become the deputy chief minister and asserted that his party along with Congress and Shiv Sena will form the next government in Maharashtra.
2.41 pm: Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the day after the Congress and other opposition parties stalled functioning of the House over developments in Maharashtra.
2.31 pm: Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said his party, the NCP and Congress will prove to Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari that they have the numbers to form government in Maharashtra.
2.11 pm: Amid the political uncertainty in Maharashtra, NCP chief spokesperson Nawab Malik posted a motivational couplet on Twitter to send across a message that nothing could deter them from succeeding.
1.14 pm: NCP MLAs Daulat Daroda, Nitin Pawar and Narhari Zirwal, who were ‘missing’ since Saturday after attending the swearing-in of Ajit Pawar as deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, return to Mumbai on Monday.
12.13 am: The Supreme Court will give its order on Maharashtra government formation on Tuesday, says the apex court while hearing the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress combine’s plea against the governor’s decision to swear in Devendra Fadnavis as chief minister.
11.34 am: The Centre tells the Supreme Court that BJP has the support of all 54 NCP MLAs to form a government in Maharashtra. It asks the apex court for two to three days to file a reply to the plea against the governor’s decision to invite Devendra Fadnavis to become Chief Minister .
11:23 am: NCP chief Sharad Pawar asserts that his party along with the Congress and Shiv Sena will form government in Maharashtra.
11.15 am: Congress president Sonia Gandhi, other party leaders hold a protest in Parliament premises against the BJP’s move to form a government in Maharashtra along with the NCP.
10.46 am: The Supreme Court commences hearing on a plea filed by the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress combine against the Maharashtra governor’s decision to swear in Devendra Fadnavis as chief minister.
10:44 am: Amid the high political drama in Maharashtra and fear of ‘poaching’ of MLAs, the NCP has shifted its legislators from a five-star resort to two other hotels in Mumbai.
10:24 am: Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said leaders of his party and the NCP and Congress will meet Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Monday to present their side for government formation in the state.
9:45 am: The Congress parliamentary strategy group meets at party chief Sonia Gandhi’s residence in Delhi in the backdrop of the Maharashtra political situation.
Congress likely to raise the issue of Devendra Fadnavis’ swearing-in along with Ajit Pawar in both houses of Parliament.
9:40 am: The Shiv Sena hits out at BJP, says those who did not respect their 25-year-long friendship with the Uddhav Thackeray-led party will one day dump NCP leader Ajit Pawar as well .
9:09 am: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accuses the BJP of disregarding the Constitution in Maharashtra and repeating the “game” it played in Karnataka.
