Congress, NCP hold meet to discuss Common Minimum Programme for Maharashtra
The BJP emerged as a single largest party with 105 seats, Shiv Sena won 56, NCP claimed victory on 54 and Congress grabbed 44 seats in the 288-member assembly.
President's rule has been imposed in Maharashtra after no party was able to form the government even 20 days after assembly election results which were declared on October 24.
The BJP emerged as a single largest party with 105 seats, Shiv Sena won 56, NCP claimed victory on 54 and Congress grabbed 44 seats in the 288-member assembly.
On Tuesday, President's rule was imposed following Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari report to the Centre that none of the three parties BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP were able to get numbers to prove majority and form the government in the state.
Maharashtra impasse: Updates
NCP leaders Jayant Patil, Ajit Pawar, Chhagan Bhujbal, Dhananjay Munde and Nawab Malik and Congress leaders Balasaheb Thorat, Prithviraj Chavan, Sushil Kumar Shinde, Ashok Chavan, Manikrao Thakre, Vijay Wadettiwar hold a meeting to discuss the Common Minimum Programme.
Congress-NCP coordination meeting being held, soon after Ajit Pawar said the meeting was cancelled and he was going to Baramati. NCP has set up a committee of Maharashtra leaders for talks on Common Minimum Programme with Congress. The committee includes Jayant Patil, Ajit Pawar, Chhagan Bhujbal, Dhananjay Munde and Nawab Malik.
NCP leader Jitendra Awhad said, "Some things are kept confidential. So, Ajit Pawar said that NCP-Congress meeting got cancelled. The meeting is underway and Ajit Pawar is present in the meeting."
Before elections, Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) and I both said many times in public that if our alliance wins then Devendra Fadnavis will be the chief minister but no one objected back then. Now they (Shiv Sena) have come up with new demands which are not acceptable to us: Amit Shah
Even today if anyone has the numbers they can approach the Governor. The Governor has not denied chance to anyone. A learned lawyer like Kapil Sibal is putting forth childish arguments like ‘we were denied a chance to form Govt’: Amit Shah
Before this, in no state was so much time given, 18 days were given. Governor invited parties only after assembly tenure ended. Neither Shiv Sena nor Congress-NCP staked claim and neither did we. Even if today any party has numbers it can approach Governor: Home Minister Amit Shah
14:27 IST | Wednesday, November 12, 2019
"Talks are going in the right direction... will take a decision at an appropriate time", said Uddhav Thackeray after holding talks with Congress leaders at a Mumbai's hotel. As per sources, the meeting lasted for over an hour.
12:50 IST | Wednesday, November 13, 2019
"The next Chief Minister will be from Shiv Sena," said Sanjay Raut after being discharged from Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital.
12:10 IST | Wednesday, November 13, 2019
Congress has set up a committee of Maharashtra leaders for talks on Common Minimum Programme with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). The committee includes Ashok Chavan, Prithviraj Chavan, Manikrao Thakre, Balasaheb Thorat and Vijay Wadettiwar.
10:48 IST | Wednesday, November 13, 2019
Though the President's rule has been imposed in Maharashtra, talks on the government formation between Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress are still taking place. As per sources, Shiv Sena and NCP will share chief minister's post for 2.5 years each while deputy CM will be from the Congress party for full 5-year term. However, clarity on certain issues (mainly secularism & common minimum programme) needs to be discussed & agreed between the parties.
Meanwhile, all development board post will be divided equally between Sena, NCP and Congress. It still remains to be discussed which party will get Speaker's post. The decision is expected to be taken in the next 10 days while an official announcement on the alliance is likely to come in 4-5 days.
09:40 IST | Wednesday, November 13, 2019
Shiv Sena in its mouthpiece Saamana has slammed the BJP saying the party is responsible for the current political situation in Maharashtra. Sena criticised BJP for not respecting the '50-50 formula' adding had they (BJP) have accepted the power-sharing deal, Maharashtra would not have been into this situation.
Shiv Sena has also hit out at the Governor terming his decision as unconstitutional, unreasonable and mala fide.
09:00 IST | Wednesday, November 13, 2019
Now BJP leader Narayan Rane has claimed that he will ensure that his party comes to power in the state however he has not spoken on how the BJP will form the government when it doesn't have the numbers.
"I will do whatever it takes to form a new BJP government, but I will not discuss (modalities) how," Rane said while speaking to media following his meeting with former Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis.
Rane further added that the BJP will meet governor with a list of 145 MLAs (numbers required to form the government). The BJP leader also hit out at the Congress party for fooling Shiv Sena on the government formation and not taking a decision over it.
Rane hit out at the NCP-Congress for trying to grab power in the state. However, he added that it seems unlikely that Sena will alliance with NCP and Congress just to grab power in the state.
Moments after the Nationalist Congress Party and Congress announced that they need more time to discuss about supporting Shiv Sena to form a government in Maharashtra, the latter's chief Uddhav Thackeray held a press conference and said that all three parties will hold talks further on the matter.
Speaking to the reporters, Thackeray said that the Maharashtra Governor did not give Shiv Sena an extension to prove that the party has the required numbers. "The BJP was invited by the Maharashtra Governor but they refused to form a government in the state. We received a letter from the governor and we were asked to respond within 24 hours. We were asked to produce the support from other parties by 7:30 PM. We needed 48 hours but the governor didn't give us time", he said.
When asked about the difference in ideologies Shiv Sena has with Congress and NCP, Thackeray quoted the example from Jammu and Kashmir when BJP and PDP came together to form the government.
As President's rule was imposed in Maharashtra amid a political deadlock, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress have said that there is no decision on offering support to Shiv Sena yet and both parties will first hold discussions among themselves and talk to Shiv Sena later.
Addressing a joint press conference with NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Congress leader Ahmed Patel condemned the imposition of President's rule in the state. "The way President's rule was recommended, I condemn it. This government has violated the SC guidelines on President's rule on several occasions in the last five years", he said.
Patel further added that Congress did not get any invitation from the governor to prove the majority and the governor has made a mockery of democracy.