NCP’s Sharad Pawar has less than 12 hours to end the unfolding political crisis in Maharashtra

Advertisement
NCP’s Sharad Pawar has less than 12 hours to end the unfolding political crisis in Maharashtra
  • November 11: Governor gives NCP 24 hours to stake a claim
  • November 11: BJP opts out of Maharashtra government race, wishes Sena 'the best'. Sena redoubled efforts to seek an alliance but failed to do so before the time given by the governor after the Congress-NCP duo left the saffron party hanging.
  • November 8: Fadnavis quits as Maharashtra CM 14 hours before his tenure ends.
  • October 28: Sena leader Sanjay Raut attacks BJP, hints at new alliances
  • October 24: BJP and Shiv Sena begin power war over the 50:50 formula after the duo won 161 seats in the Maharashtra Assembly Election 2019.
Maharashtra, home to India’s financial capital Mumbai, witnessed an unprecedented political crisis for the last 20 days. The winning coalition⁠— between the Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ⁠— collapsed despite a clear mandate in the assembly elections 2019.
Advertisement

Advertisement

The Governor of Maharashtra rejected Shiv Sena’s attempt to form the government after the Uddhav Thackeray-led party failed to get an assurance of support from its political and ideological adversaries the Nationalist Congress Party and the Indian National Congress.

These are the latest updates in the unfolding political drama in Maharashtra

{{}}

​November 12: Sena may move SC as Guv declined more time to muster numbers

​November 12: Sena may move SC as Guv declined more time to muster numbers

The Shiv Sena on Tuesday indicated it might move the Supreme Court against Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari's decision to decline extension of time sought by the Uddhav Thackeray-led party for submitting the "requisite letter of support" to prove its claim to form a government on Monday night.

The Sena, which is trying to form a coalition government with the support of the NCP and the Congress, had failed to secure the letters from both the parties.

​November 12: Union Cabinet recommends President's rule in Maharashtra

​November 12: Union Cabinet recommends President's rule in Maharashtra

The Union Cabinet on Tuesday recommended President's rule in Maharashtra where no political party has been able to form a government after the assembly polls last month.

Sources said the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, met here this afternoon to discuss the political impasse in Maharashtra and decided to recommend to the president to impose Central rule in the state.

(with PTI inputs)

Advertisement

​November 11: Governor gives NCP 24 hours to stake a claim

​November 11: Governor gives NCP 24 hours to stake a claim

Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari invited Sharad Pawar led-NCP, the third largest party in Maharashtra, to prove support and form the government. NCP now has time till Tuesday 8.30pm to take a decision.

On Monday, Sena redoubled efforts to seek an alliance but failed to do so before the time given by the governor but the Congress-NCP duo left the saffron party hanging.

Congress’s Sonia Gandhi decided to hold talks with NCP Chief Sharad Pawar before arriving at a decision. However, it meant that Sena lost its chance and an unexpected opportunity fell on Pawar’s lap.

However, 24 hours may be too short a window to ensure adequate support as witnessed in the case of Shiv Sena a day earlier.

​November 11: BJP opts out of Maharashtra government race, wishes Sena 'the best'

​November 11: BJP opts out of Maharashtra government race, wishes Sena 'the best'

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday conceded its inability to form the government in Maharashtra despite having the public mandate for its pre-poll alliance.

"The Shiv Sena has insulted the public mandate... If it is in a position to form the government along with the support of the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party, our best wishes are with them," said BJP State President Chandrakant Patil.

Advertisement

​November 8: Fadnavis quits as Maharashtra CM 14 hours before his tenure ends

​November 8: Fadnavis quits as Maharashtra CM 14 hours before his tenure ends

Fadnavis submitted his resignation to the governor on November 8 — 14 hours before his tenure ends — holding Sena responsible for the deadlock.

He said, Sena's "policy" of not talking with the BJP but holding talks with the opposition Congress and NCP was wrong.

He reasserted that there was no agreement on sharing power. "There was no talk anytime before me over sharing the post of CM for two-and-half years each between the two parties... (Union Minister) Nitin Gadkari and I spoke with BJP President Amit Shah who also said there was no such commitment on this,” Fadnavis said after he submitted his resignation.

​Sena leader Sanjay Raut attacks BJP, hints at new alliances

​Sena leader Sanjay Raut attacks BJP, hints at new alliances


Sena leader Sanjay Raut left no stone behind to attack BJP.

After the state Assembly polls were declared on October 24, he has been holding media briefings everyday and posting Tweets to hit out at the BJP. A day after assembly results were out,Raut took a jibe at BJP by posting a cartoon of a tiger (Shiv Sena’s party symbol) wearing a clock locket (NCPs party symbol) sniffing a lotus (BJPs party symbol).


In another incident, he attacked BJP leader and Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis and referred to him as Germany’s Hitler in his column Rokhthok in Saamana, a local newspaper by Shiv Sena. He wrote, “When ways of threatening and seeking political support don’t work, it is time to accept that Hitler is dead and the looming clouds of slavery have disappeared.”
Advertisement

​October 24: The 50:50 formula

​October 24: The 50:50 formula

The 50:50 formula is the core of the tussle between Sena and BJP.

Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said that the two allies will equally divide power. "We (Amit Shah and himself) have agreed on a portfolio number and we expect to stick to that," said Uddhav Thackeray addressing a press conference after the announcement of results.

Shiv Sena wanted the CM’s post included in the division of power while the BJP did not. And, that’s how the cookie crumbled.

October 24: BJP-Shiv Sena duo won 161 seats in the Maharashtra Assembly Election 2019

October 24: BJP-Shiv Sena duo won 161 seats in the Maharashtra Assembly Election 2019

The Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena alliance won 166 seats, while the Congress-NCP combine won 98 seats in the Maharashtra assembly polls held on October 21.

Shiv Sena, the second largest party in the 288 member House with 56 MLAs, had time till 7.30 pm today (November 11) to stake claim on government formation.

Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena had a fall-out with its pre-poll ally -- the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), over sharing of key posts including the Chief Minister’s office. Both BJP and Sena were wrangling for power sharing as soon as the election results came in.It ended with BJP giving up its claim on the government despite being the single largest party.

Advertisement