In an overnight twist to Maharashtra's political drama, the country on Saturday woke up to Devendra Fadnavis taking oath as the chief minister of the state, with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)'s Ajit Pawar as his deputy.
Maharashtra Governor administered the oath of office to Fadnavis and Pawar at 8 AM after the President's Rule was revoked in the wee hours of Saturday.
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8:39 PM: Jayant Patil is the new NCP legislature party leader.
8:15 PM: With Maharashtra in a political bind following a coup by NCP's Ajit Pawar who joined hands with the BJP, MLAs of the ally Congress are likely to fly to Jaipur on Sunday to ward off any poaching bid, a party leader said today.
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8:04 PM: Top NCP sources tell ANI that a total 50 MLAs are present in the meeting with NCP Chief Sharad Pawar at YB Chavan Centre in Mumbai. Four NCP MLAs, including Ajit Pawar, yet to come for the meeting. They are expected to come to the meeting shortly. All MLAs will be kept at a hotel in Mumbai.
8:04 PM: Ajit Pawar sacked as NCP legislature group leader at party meet, reports PTI.
7:33 PM: Shiv Sena leaders Milind Narvekar and Eknath Shinde brought with them 2 NCP MLAs Sanjay Bansod and Babasaheb Patil at YB Chavan Center from the Mumbai airport. The two NCP MLAs are said to be with NCP leader Ajit Pawar, news agency ANI reports.
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7:19 PM: Forty-two of the 54 NCP MLAs are at the meeting called by NCP chief Sharad Pawar, news agency ANI reports.
6:51 PM: Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress have approached the Supreme Court against "arbitrary, malafide actions/decisions" of Maharashtra governor, party sources tell PTI.
6:41 PM: Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray leaves from Lalit Hotel after meeting with party MLAs.
5:45 PM: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Dhananjay Munde has arrived at YV Chavan Centre to attend the party meeting.
5:44 PM: Govt invoked Rule 12 of its transaction of business to bypass the need of Union Cabinet's nod for revocation Prez rule in Maharashtra, say Officials.
5:23 PM: News channel NDTV reports that seven of the 10 MLAs, who broke ranks with the NCP, have boarded a flight to Delhi.
4:23 PM: Surprised by BJP and NCP chief Sharad Pawar's nephew Ajit Pawar over government formation in Maharashtra, the Congress is taking all its 44 MLAs to Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal to avoid poaching. According to Congress leaders, the party has decided to fly all its MLAs to Bhopal. Madhya Pradesh is ruled by Congress Chief Minister Kamal Nath, IANS reported.
4:18 PM: Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has reached the party office in Mumbai where celebrations are underway.
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4:07 PM: BJP promised to send Ajit Pawar to jail, made him Maharashtra Deputy CM instead, says Congress.
4:02 PM: Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday condemned political developments in Maharashtra and demanded the resignation of Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on "moral grounds", asserting that he acted in connivance with the BJP to make Devendra Fadnavis chief minister.
“The details emerging from Maharashtra are shocking and show that the governor acted in connivance with the BJP and administered the oath of office to Devendra Fadnavis without verifying signatures of NCP MLAs,” Gehlot said.
3:22 PM: Throughout the election campaign, Devendra Fadnavis' name was projected as the Maharashtra Chief Minister. The support base of BJP & the prospect of Devendra Fadnavis becoming CM, played a crucial role in the success of Shiv Sena candidates, says Ravi Shankar Prasad.
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3:15 PM: Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP conspired to seize control of India's financial capital through the backdoor, says Ravi Shankar Prasad.
3:11 PM: Maharashtra mandate was for BJP government under Fadnavis, says Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.
3:09 PM: Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad is addressing a press conference now.
2:54 PM: NCP leader Nawab Malik has confirmed that four of the 10 MLAs, who were present at the swearing-in ceremony, have come back to the NCP fold, adding more will return soon.
2:41 PM: Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Saturday claimed that NCP's Ajit Pawar was "blackmailed" into joining hands with the BJP to form government in Maharashtra. BJP's Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday took oath as Maharashtra chief minister, while Ajit Pawar as his deputy.
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"NCP leader Dhananjay Munde has been contacted. Ajit Pawar may also return (to NCP fold). We have information how Ajit Pawar has been blackmailed and will expose this soon," Raut said.
1:56 PM: "We will fight this on both fronts, political and legal," says Ahmed Patel.
1:52 PM: Congress leader Ahmed Patel says it is a black day in the history of Maharashtra. "Everything was done in a hushed manner and early morning. Something is wrong somewhere. Nothing can be more shameful than this," he said.
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1:46 PM: Congress press conference underway now.
1:21 PM: Two more NCP MLAs Sandip Kshirsagar and Sunil Bhusara allege that they were unknowingly taken to the oath ceremony, adding they have now come back and extended support to Sharad Pawar.
1:16 PM: "I don't know if he (Ajit Pawar) has done this fearing investigating agencies or not. As per my source, 10-11 MLAs were there in Raj Bhavan and out of those, 3 are already here sitting with me," Sharad Pawar said.
1:11 PM: Action against Ajit Pawar will be taken as per the procedure, says Sharad Pawar.
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1:09 PM: Earlier, EVM khel was going on, and now this is a new khel. Here onwards, I don't think elections are even needed. Everyone knows what Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj did when betrayed and attacked from the back, says Uddhav.
1:03 PM: Uddhav Thackeray, the Shiv Sena Chief, starts addressing the joint press conference. He says what the BJP has done is disrespectful towards the mandate of the people and constitution. "The BJP selects and forms the government with leaders who criticise them," he says. The BJP should go back and see what Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj stood for, Thackeray said, adding the BJP's move was a political strike on Maharashtra.
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1:00 PM: NCP MLA Rajendra Shingane says Ajit Pawar had called him to discuss something and from there I was taken with other MLAs to Raj Bhavan. Before we could understand the oath-taking ceremony was done. I rushed to Pawar Sahab and told him I am with Sharad Pawar and NCP.
12:56 PM: "All the MLAs who are going must know that there is an anti-defection law and the possibility of them losing their assembly membership is high," Pawar said.
12:52 PM: "A true NCP worker will never join hands with BJP in the state," says Sharad Pawar. "Ten-eleven MLAs have gone with Ajit Pawar to support the BJP-led government," he says.
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12:49 PM: Sharad Pawar starts speaking at the joint press conference. "All three parties had agreed to come together. I was told this morning that at 6:30 there was a meeting at the Governor's house. Except for Ajit Pawar, none of the MLAs had gone to the governor's house to attend the swearing-in ceremony," Pawar says.
12:31 AM:
11:43 AM: "This is a betrayal to the family. Ajit Pawar never consulted with my father on supporting the BJP, still trying to understand circumstances under which he agreed to support the BJP," says Supriya Sule.
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11: 20 AM: Maharashtra Congress Leader Sanjay Nirupam said, "People would be thinking I will be happy by today's developments, but I am actually very sad. Congress has been unnecessarily defamed in this and thinking of alliance with Shiv Sena was a mistake. I appeal to Sonia ji to at first dissolve Congress Working Committee."
11: 10 AM: According to ANI sources, Congress has called an urgent meeting at the party office in Mumbai where Senior party leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and K C Venugopal are likely to be present.
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11:01 AM: Ajit Pawar and the MLAs supporting him have insulted Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Maharashtra. People of Maharashtra will not forgive Ajit Pawar, says Sanjay Raut.
11:00 AM: Sanjay Raut a press conference in Mumabi said that Ajit Pawar was actively involved in the negotiations between Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress over the government formation till yesterday.
"Till 9 pm yesterday, this gentleman (Ajit Pawar) was very active during the talks. Suddenly he disappeared after that. We were suspicious when he was not talking to us by maintaining eye to eye contact," Raut said.
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10:55 AM: Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut says, "Sharad Pawar saheb has nothing to do with this (on government formation). Ajit Pawar has backstabbed the people of Maharashtra. BJP has once again misused the Governor's Office for power. This is against the credentials of the country's democracy."
10:09 AM: NCP sources say Sharad Pawar made a big mistake by not keeping Ajit Pawar in the loop on talks with Sena. According to sources, about 20-23 NCP MLAs likely to join BJP coalition.
10: 08 AM: Sharad Pawar's made it clear that Ajit doesn't have his blessings and is acting on his own. Sharad Pawar also did not attend the swearing-in ceremony. He is likely to meet Uddhav Thackeray later today and also speak to Sonia on the developments.
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10: 01 AM: Ajit Pawar stabbed Shiv Sena in the back, says Sena's Sanjay Raut.
10:00 AM: Shiv Sena's Uddhav Thackeray and NCP Chief Sharad Pawar to address joint press conference, says Sanjay Raut.
9: 45 AM: NCP Chief Sharad Pawar broke his silence and said that he along with NCP does not endorse the decision of Ajit Pawar to take oath as deputy CM in Maharhastra.
Sharad Pawar said that Ajit Pawar's decision was his own and not that of NCP.
9:27 AM: BJP MP Harsh Vardhan also extended his congratulations on the BJP-NCP government in Maharashtra.
9:25 AM: Recently sworn-in as Maharashtra Deputy CM, Ajit Pawar said that giving the state a stable government was the need of the hour which did not appear to be happening.
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"I was tired of the continuous negotiations going on and so decided to go with Fadnavis and give a stable government to the state," Pawar said.
9:20 AM: Senior Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi on Saturday expressed surprise at the political developments in Maharashtra.
9:10 AM: The BJP-NCP government took charge in Maharashtra on Saturday after the President's rule, imposed in the state a fortnight ago, was revoked at 5.47 am.
According to a Home Ministry notification, President Ram Nath Kovind issued the proclamation for revocation of the central rule this morning.
9:00 AM: Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut tweets:
8:57 AM: Devendra Fadnavis said, "People had given us a clear mandate, but Shiv Sena tried to ally with other parties after results, as a result President's rule was imposed. Maharashtra needed a stable govt not a 'khichdi' government."
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8:51 AM: Home Minister Amit Shah extended his congratulations to Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar.
8:40 AM: According to ANI sources, NCP Chief Sharad Pawar was part of discussions for Devendra Fadnavis led Maharashtra Government formation. He had given his assent to Ajit Pawar.
8:37 AM: After taking oath as Maharhstra CM, Devendra Fadnavis said, "I would like to express my gratitude to NCP's Ajit Pawar ji, he took this decision to give a stable government to Maharashtra & come together with BJP. Some other leaders also came with us and we staked claim to form government."
8: 26 AM: Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Devendra Fadnavis after he took oath.
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"Congratulations to Devendra Fadnavis ji and Ajit Pawar ji on taking oath as the CM and Deputy CM of Maharashtra respectively. I am confident they will work diligently for the bright future of Maharashtra," he said.
8:25 AM: In his first comments after taking oath as deputy CM, Ajit Pawar said, "From result day to this day no party was able to form Governement.
Maharashtra was facing many problems including farmer issues, so we decided to form a stable Government."
8: 30 AM: Former Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis takes oath as CM again.
