Maharashtra Government: Alliance talks continue between Sharad Pawar's NCP and Congress.
Maharashtra has been placed under President's Rule on Tuesday but that didn't stop allies Congress and NCP from holding discussions on whether to support the Shiv Sena in forming the Maharashtra government. The move to place the state under President's Rule has been criticised by opposition parties who have accused Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari of not giving them enough time.
The state was placed under President's rule after the Governor sent a report. The NCP spoke to him at 11 am on Tuesday and the report was sent hours before its 8.30 pm deadline, and asked for more time.
Here are the live updates on Maharashtra government formation.
Maharashtra Live News: Congress MLAs leave Jaipur resortMaharashtra Congress MLAs, who had been camping at a resort in Rajasthan capital Jaipur for the last five days amid political impasse in their state, left for Mumbai on Wednesday. The MLAs were holed up at the luxury resort, located close to the Delhi-Jaipur national highway, as the Congress remained busy holding discussions with the NCP and the Shiv Sena with regard to the government formation in Maharashtra, which was placed under President's rule on Tuesday. Read
here Maharashtra Government Formation: Uddhav Thackeray met Ahmed Patel on TuesdayShiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray met with Congress leader Ahmed Patel last night as the two ideologically contrasting parties explored ways of getting together to form a government in Maharashtra, hours after President's Rule was imposed in the state. The meeting took place after almost simultaneous press briefings by the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) of Sharad Pawar, and the Shiv Sena. Read
here Congress MLAs in Jaipur to leave for Mumbai today.
Maharashtra Government Formation: "Wanted More Time," Says NCP's Sharad Pawar
"The NCP had given a letter to the Governor seeking an extension of three days as Congress leaders were not here and situation was different in the morning. We wanted more time for formation," party leader Ajit Pawar said today.
On Tuesday, Shiv Sena also cited example of the BJP's alliance Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP in Jammu and Kashmir which later ended up with the former state coming under President's rule.
Maharashtra Government Formation: Sena Attacks BJP Amid Political Crisis In its mouthpiece, the Sena today attacked the BJP for the political crisis in the state. "The mandate has been given to both the parties. The policy that the two put together has got this mandate. They (BJP) were not ready to accept this, that is why we had to take this step to maintain the pride of the land of Maharashtra," Shiv Sena said in its mouthpiece ''Saamana''.
"Why should anyone blame us for this? It is said that the Bharatiya Janata Party is a party with elements, morals and rituals, so in the context of Maharashtra, they should have followed the same elements and rituals. The situation would not have been avoided if the BJP had kept its promise," it added.
Maharashtra Government Formation: Sanjay Raut, In Hospital, Quotes Harivansh Rai Bachchan In Tweet
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut, who is in hospital after an angioplasty, quoted Harivansh Rai Bachchan's poem "Agneepath" in his tweet this morning. The Sena leader underwent the surgery on Monday. Political leaders across party lines visited him in the hospital on Tuesday.