Maharashtra LIVE Updates: Devendra Fadnavis Resigns As Maharashtra Chief Minister After Deputy Ajit Pawar Quits

Uddhav Thackeray meets Governor, stakes claim to form Sena-NCP-Congress government
The Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress combine on Tuesday evening elected Uddhav Thackeray as its nominee for Maharashtra Chief Minister's post, following which the Sena president met the Governor and staked claim to form government of the "Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi".

Mr Thackeray was accompanied by legislature party leaders of the three parties as he headed for Raj Bhavan to meet governor B K Koshyari, a Sena leader said.

"We are submitting a joint statement of staking claim for government formation. We will also produce proof of the support of all the MLAs of the three parties to the governor as part of the mandatory procedure," said the leader.

Maharashtra: Will PM Modi, Amit Shah Be Invited For Uddhav Thackeray's Oath? Sena's Reply
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah will be invited to a function where Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray will take oath as the Maharashtra Chief Minister, Sena said on Tuesday"

Uddhav Thackeray speaks at NCP-Sena-Congress meet
Ideology of Hindutva not on the basis of lies. We will make this Maharashtra once again that Maharashtra which Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj dreamt of. For me farmers and people of Maharashtra are more important than people sitting in Delhi. I accept the responsibility given by all of you. I'm not alone but you all are Chief Minister with me. What has happened today is the actual democracy. Together we will wipe off the tears of farmers in the state. I'm ready to answer all questions raised by Devendra Fadnavis. I am not scared of anything. Lies are not part of Hindutva. When needed you hug us and when not needed you leave us. You tried to keep us away.

Uddhav Thackeray thanks Sonia Gandhi, says "never dreamed of leading state"
"I had never dreamed of leading the state. I would like to thank Sonia Gandhi and others. We are giving a new direction to country by keeping faith on each other."

Uddhav Thackeray to be Maharashtra Chief Minister
Uddhav Thackeray declared leader of Maha Vikas Aghadi, will be Maharashtra Chief Minister, oath likely on Sunday.

Sharad Pawar arrives at Trident hotel for Sena-NCP-Congress meeting. Uddhav Thackeray, Aaditya Thackeray, Tejas Thackeray at the meet.

Maharashtra crisis: Here is a timeline of latest developments after Devendra Fadnavis quit
6.07 pm: NCP says collapse of the Fadnavis government has punctured the BJP''s "arrogance".

6.07 pm: Congress says the Fadnavis-led government in Maharashtra was based on "defections" and fell like a "house of cards", and asked Governor Koshiyari to invite its alliance with the Shiv Sena and the NCP to form the government in the state.

5.59 pm: BJP says parties "rejected by people" in the Assembly polls have joined hands to "steal" popular mandate. The party said the decision to form the government despite lacking numbers was done so in "good faith" after being assured of the NCP''s support by its leader Ajit Pawar.

5.52 pm: Maharashtra governor convenes Assembly session, MLAs to be sworn in on Wednesday.

5.50 pm: Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray to be next CM, NCP leader Nawab Malik says, adding Sena, NCP and Cong will continue their alliance for the next 20-25 years.

5.06 pm: BJP''s Kalidas Kolambkar appointed as pro-tem Speaker of Maharashtra assembly.

4.34 pm: Fadnavis submits resignation as Maharashtra CM to Governor BS Koshyari

3.44 pm: CM Fadnavis tells press conference that he will go to Raj Bhawan to tender resignation.

He said Shiv Sena threatened BJP over Chief Minister's post.

3.42 pm: NCP''s Ajit Pawar gave his resignation leading to realisation we don''t have the numbers: Fadnavis

3.36 pm: Maharashtra poll mandate was more for BJP than Shiv Sena: Devendra Fadnavis at a press conference.

3.20 pm: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has resigned, says Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut.

3.18 pm: Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut claims Ajit Pawar is now with Shiv Sena-Congress-NCP alliance.

3.16 pm: Uddhav Thackeray to be chief minister for five years: Sanjay Raut after meeting of Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance leaders

3.01 pm: Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds a meeting with BJP chief Amit Shah, who is also the Union home minister, and the party''s working president J P Nadda after the SC orders a floor test in the Maharashtra Assembly on Wednesday.

2.29 pm: Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad criticises Congress for boycotting the Constitution Day celebrations in Parliament and said it is an "insult" to Bhim Rao Ambedkar.

2.17 pm: Ahead of floor test in the Maharashtra Assembly, Congress calls for appointment of senior-most lawmaker in assembly as pro-tem speaker, saying precedents and conventions should be followed.

1.18 pm: All newly elected BJP MLAs in Maharashtra have been asked to reach Mumbai to attend a meeting which will be addressed by Fadnavis on Tuesday evening.

12.34 pm: Ex-PM Manmohan Singh says the way the Centre behaved in Maharashtra, not certain constitutional norms safe in hands of present establishment.

12.18 pm: Congress president Sonia Gandhi expresses confidence of a win in Maharashtra Assembly floor test.

12.07 PM: Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde says Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis should resign as the Uddhav Thackeray''s party-led coalition has the support of "162 MLAs" to prove majority in the Maharashtra Assembly.

11.50 am: The BJP says floor test in the Maharashtra assembly on Wednesday will establish the position of different parties in its entirety.

Its national spokesperson Nalin Kohli also rejects the contention that the SC order is a "setback" to the BJP.

11.46 am: Security stepped up around the Vidhan Bhawan in Mumbai. Elaborate police arrangement has been made to avoid any untoward incident outside the premises.

11.39 am: NCP chief Sharad Pawar says he is grateful to SC for upholding democratic values.

11.32 am: Opposition parties, including the Congress and the Shiv Sena, skips a joint sitting of both houses of Parliament on the Constitution Day to mark their protest against the BJP''s alleged high-handedness in Maharashtra.

11.22 am: Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut says truth cannot be defeated.

11.03 am: End of BJP''s game, says NCP on Supreme Court''s ruling over Maha political drama

11 am: Cong leader Prithviraj Chavan says his party, Sena and NCP are satisfied with SC order of floor test in Maha assembly, Constitution has been respected on Constitution Day.

10.42 am: SC directs Maha Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari to ensure all elected members of the House are sworn in on Wednesday itself.

10.39 am: Floor test in Maharashtra Assembly for Chief Minister Fadnavis to prove his majority in the assembly will be held on Wednesday: SC

9.14 am: In an editorial in Shiv Sena mouthpiece ''Saamana'', the party lashes out at Maharashtra governor over the hush hush swearing-in ceremony of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Uddhav Thackeray To Be Maharashtra Chief Minister, Says Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut After Devendra Fadnavis Quits
Uddhav Thackeray will be Maharashtra's new Chief Minister, a senior leader of his Shiv Sena announced today after rapid changes triggered by a Supreme Court order to the BJP's Devendra Fadnavis to prove his majority in a floor test tomorrow."

A recap of what happened before Devendra Fadnavis, Ajit Pawar quit
Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar were sworn in on Saturday, in a sudden oath ceremony at 7.50 am that was challenged in the Supreme Court as undemocratic and unconstitutional.

The BJP won 105 seats in the 288-member state assembly and needed 40 more for a majority. Mr Fadnavis claimed the support of 170 MLAs, but a major component was the presumptive support of 54 NCP MLAs, as claimed by Ajit Pawar, their leader in the assembly.

Ajit Pawar's overnight switch was key to the BJP's surprise comeback. He displayed confidence that he would have the support of all 54 MLAs.

Subsequently, nearly all NCP MLAs appeared to return to the party fold and more than 50 also participated in a show of strength at a five-star hotel in Mumbai last evening. It became increasingly apparent that the Ajit Pawar was isolated within his own party and that the BJP may not have enough MLAs after all.

Next Government will be unstable, says Devendra Fadnavis after resigning as Maharashtra Chief Minister

Devendra Fadnavis to submit his resignation to Governor soon

Devendra Fadnavis, Ajit Pawar Quit Ahead Of Maharashtra Floor Test
Devendra Fadnavis has resigned as Maharashtra Chief Minister a day before he was to face a floor test ordered by the Supreme Court. His announcement followed that of Ajit Pawar, who quit as his deputy."

Devendra Fadnavis quits as Maharashtra Chief Minister, says BJP didn't indulge in "horse-trading"
More pointers from Devendra Fadnavis's press meet where he resigned as Maharashtra Chief Minister a day before the floor test:

• We work for the people and they are the ones who matter. We in the BJP don't indulge in wrong practices.
• These other parties have just 1 agenda - keep the BJP out. That is all they care about. We care about the people and the development of the country. We will continue our good work. We will be a strong and effective opposition.
• The mandate was for the BJP. The numbers say so absolutely clearly. This has not been respected.
• I am happy and thankful to my party for trusting in me. I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party president Amit Shah and working president JP Nadda for their trust in me.

"BJP will become the voice of the people as opposition," Devendra Fadnavis says after resigning.

Devendra Fadnavis resigns, thanks people of Maharashtra
"Looking at the current scenario, I also resign as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. I thank the people of Maharashtra for giving me the opportunity to serve them. We worked for everyone, and every sector. There was a lot of work done in the last 5 years, and I am very happy with it," Mr Fadnavis at press meet

Devendra Fadnavis resigns as Maharashtra Chief Minister
BREAKING: Devendra Fadnavis Resigns As Maharashtra Chief Minister After Deputy Ajit Pawar Quits.

Devendra Fadnavis addresses press conference:

• As you all are aware, it was the BJP which got the people's mandate.
• But since we fought lesser seats, we got the number that we have. Should we have contested all the seats, it would have been a different story.
• But Shiv Sena knew that contesting together by dividing seats would only help their bargaining power.
• Let me make it clear - We never ever promised them what they claimed after the result was declared.
• The Shiv Sena wanted something that was not negotiable. They started talking to other parties - the NCP and Congress.
• Those who didn't come out of Matoshree went out to meet other party leaders. We were never even called.
• We told the Governor at the start that we do not have the numbers by ourselves, since we contested together with the Shiv Sena, which now broke that alliance. The Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress - 3 parties with completely different ideologies - came together just so that they could keep the BJP out. The common minimum programme is just an eyewash.
• Ajit Pawar had a letter of support, but then things changed. This lead to his resignation earlier this afternoon after the latest developments.
  
  
  

Devendra Fadnavis addresses press conference after Ajit Pawar quits as his deputy

Maharashtra News: Balasaheb Thorat elected as Congress legislature wing leader
Maharashtra Congress president Balasaheb Thorat has been elected as the party's legislature wing leader, the Congress said on Tuesday. AICC general secretary in-charge for Maharashtra Mallikarjun Kharge made the announcement at a meeting of the party MLAs held at a hotel.

"The Congress president (Sonia Gandhi) has approved the name of Balasaheb Thorat as the Congress Legislature Party leader in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly," Mr Kharge told the MLAs.

Mr Thorat is an eight-term MLA and currently heads the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee.