Maharashtra govt formation : Congress ‘agrees’ to Sena-NCP alliance

Maharashtra government formation LIVE updates: NCP and Shiv Sena leaders said that the political impasse in the state would end today.

Maharashtra’s wait for a government continues since the assembly elections, which were held a month ago, in spite of frantic talks involving all four probable stakeholders of power – Bharatiya Janta Party, Nationalist Congress Party, Shiv Sena and the Congress party.

The coveted chief minister’s post is the bone of contention between the former allies – Shiv Sena and BJP and the probable NCP-Congress-Sena alliance.

On Wednesday, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut told reporters that the chief minister of the state will be from his party, but parried question on whether the Sena would hold the post for five years.

Maharashtra govt formation : Congress ‘agrees’ to Sena-NCP alliance

Maharashtra assembly were held on October 21 and were fought by two alliances – BJP-Shiv Sena and Congress-NCP. The BJP-Shiv Sena coalition comfortably crossed the majority mark. However, the saffron parties severed ties with each other. Arithmetically speaking, no party in Maharashtra had the ability to form a government without the help of any other. As none of the political parties succeeded in getting the numbers, Maharashtra governor imposed President’s rule on the state.

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• Decision on Maharashtra by Friday; CWC agrees to go ahead for govt formation with Shiv Sena: Cong sources
• Congress leader KC Venugopal on CWC meeting: We have apprised the CWC members of the latest political situation in Maharashtra. Today, Congress-NCP discussion will continue. I think, tomorrow, we will probably have a decision in Mumbai.
• Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress on Maharashtra govt formation: The Congress Working Committee today discussed and decided what steps need to be taken ahead. We will now take steps as decided in the meeting.
• A final decision on the new government in Maharashtra will be taken in the next two days, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said on Thursday. (He told reporters that there there are no plans of any meeting between Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray this week.)

Maharashtra govt formation : Don’t blame us for delay, says Congress

Maharashtra govt formation: If the NCP, too, fails to furnish letters of support from Congress and Shiv Sena, the prospect of President’s rule would loom over Maharashtra

Maharashtra continues to be without a new government 19 days after election results. The Shiv Sena failed to cobble up the numbers on Monday, prompting Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari to ask the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to form a government. The NCP has to get back to the governor by 8.30 pm on Tuesday as the Congress party considers if it can support the Sena, its ideological rival, in an alliance government along with the NCP.

The Sena has 56 MLAs, the NCP 54 and the Congress 44 in the 288-member Maharashtra assembly where the majority mark is 145.

The BJP, which is ruling in the interim, has 105 MLAs and opted out of forming a government when its ally, the Sena, insisted on the Chief Minister’s post.

Kovind accepts Sawant’s resignation, gives portfolio to Javadekar

A day after Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant quit as the Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday accepted his resignation and gave the additional charge of the Ministry to Cabinet Minister Prakash Javadekar.

In a statement, the Rashtrapati Bhavan said that the President, as advised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has accepted Sawant’s resignation from the Union Council of Ministers with immediate effect.

It said Javadekar, who holds the portfolios of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, as well as Information and Broadcasting, would be given the additional charge.

“Further, as advised by the Prime Minister, the President has directed that Javadekar be assigned the charge of the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, in addition to his existing portfolios,” it added….

Read Full Source: Maharashtra Government