Maharashtra Chief Minister-designate Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday called on Governor BS Koshyari at the Raj Bhavan.
Sporting his traditional kurta-pyjama, this time in a maroon-white combination, Thackeray was accompanied by his wife Rashmi for their courtesy visit to the Governor’s House.
The Governor received them warmly with folded hands and a “namaste” while Thackeray reciprocated and presented a bouquet to him.
Later, the state’s first couple was duly escorted inside the Governor’s office for a brief meeting.
Late on Tuesday, the Governor invited Thackeray to form the next Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) comprising the alliance of Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress and other smaller parties.
He also said that Thackeray would be sworn-in at a function in Shivaji Park on Thursday at 6.40 pm, drawing the curtains on the unprecedented political upheaval that had rocked the state since the past one month.
The Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance on Tuesday elected Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray as its leader and Chief Minister candidate in Maharashtra. In a meeting of the newly formed alliance comprising of Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress, a resolution was passed and accepted unanimously by all MLAs present in the meeting held at Hotel Trident in Mumbai.
Senior Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat endorsed the resolution moved by Jayant Patil, proposing Uddhav Thackeray’s name as the Chief Minister candidate of the alliance.
At the beginning of the meeting, Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde moved a resolution to form ‘Maha Vikas Aghadi’, the alliance of Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress which was seconded by NCP leader Nawab Malik and Congress’ Nitin Raut.
Following the meeting Uddhav Thackeray said, “I had never dreamed of leading the state. I would like to thank Sonia Gandhi and other leaders. We are giving new direction to country by keeping faith on each other.”
Attacking its former ally BJP and Devendra Fadnavis, he said, “I am ready to answer all questions raised by Devendra Fadnavis, I am not scared of anything.”
“When you needed us, you hugged us, when not you left us,” said Thackeray.
According to senior NCP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Majeed Memon, NCP’s Jayant Patil and Congress’ Balasaheb Thorat will be the Deputy Chief Ministers in the Maha Vikas Aghadi-led government in Maharashtra.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, all the 288 newly-elected legislators of different political parties including ex-deputy chief minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar and Independents on Wednesday took oath at a special Assembly session called by Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari after the Supreme Court’s Tuesday order for the same ahead of the floor test today.
Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar, who resigned as the deputy CM, was welcomed with a hug by cousin Supriya Sule as he arrived for the swearing-in ceremony.
Hours after Ajit Pawar resigned on Tuesday, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis too followed suit after it was reportedly decided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Party President Amit Shah and party Executive President JP Nadda in a meeting.
Both the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister took oath in the wee hours of Saturday morning, a move that took everyone by surprise. The move was challenged by the opposition in Supreme Court which in its judgment on Tuesday morning ordered a floor test on Wednesday.