'The common man and especially civilised people of the state are not agreeing with what has happened and are extending their support'
The cabinet expansion of the Devendra Fadnavis-led Maharashtra government is likely to take place by December 14, a senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader said on Wednesday.
Maharashtra's political leaders, led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, paid tribute to the late Deputy CM Ajit Pawar during the state legislature's budget session, remembering him as a capable leader and administrator.
BJP and Congress workers clashed in Pune following controversial remarks equating Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj with Tipu Sultan, leading to injuries and police intervention.
The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear on July 11 the plea of Shiv Sena chief Sunil Prabhu seeking suspension from assembly of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and 15 rebel MLAs against whom disqualification pleas are pending.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut has stated that there are ongoing "emotional talks" between his party and the MNS, though no formal alliance has been announced. Raut clarified that Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has not set any preconditions for rapprochement with his cousin, MNS president Raj Thackeray. The speculation about a possible reconciliation began after Raj Thackeray expressed willingness to work with Uddhav in a podcast interview. However, the MNS spokesperson downplayed the significance of Raj Thackeray's remarks, emphasizing the need for the Sena (UBT) to support the MNS's agitation for Marathi language and people. Uddhav Thackeray, while open to reconciliation, has cautioned against working with those deemed "enemies" of Maharashtra, an apparent reference to the BJP and the Shinde-led Sena.
The meeting will be held in Shiv Sena Bhavan in which the chief minister will join virtually.
Fadnavis' tongue-in-cheek remark directed at Uddhav on the "scope" for him in the ruling side set off speculation last week.
Vaijapur MLA Ramesh Bornare said Shivsainiks are happy with Shinde becoming the chief minister.
'For three months Raj Thackeray becomes a staunch Hindu and for the next three months he becomes anti-Hindu.'
Sunetra Pawar, wife of late NCP leader Ajit Pawar, was sworn in as Maharashtra's first woman deputy Chief Minister after being elected as the leader of the NCP legislature wing.
The Opposition in Maharashtra boycotted the government's customary tea party on the eve of the Winter session, citing its failure to appoint leaders of the opposition (LoPs) in both houses of the state legislature.
To some the public humiliation of Shiv Sena leader Manohar Joshi at the party's annual Dussehra celebrations in Mumbai may have come as a shocker, but his relationship with the party and the Thackerays has always been rocky, says Neeta Kolhatkar.
MNS leader Raj Thackeray has sparked speculation about a potential political rapprochement with his estranged cousin and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, suggesting their past differences are "trivial" and uniting for the greater good of "Marathi manoos" is not a difficult task. The comments come amid a political landscape in Maharashtra where the Shiv Sena (UBT) is facing a tough battle to retain its stronghold in Mumbai in upcoming civic polls, with competition from the Shinde-led Sena and BJP.
Koshyari and Thackeray are locked in a bitter war of words after the former pushed for reopening of places of worship in the state.
Amid intense discussions among Mahayuti allies over the distribution of portfolios and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena's insistence on the home ministry, the clarity on the composition of the council of ministers is expected by Sunday, sources said.
"Kamra merely expressed his views. He stated the facts and voiced the public opinion," Thackeray told reporters at Vidhan Bhavan in south Mumbai.
Thackeray had also supported the Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi in 1975 when most of the other parties were vehemently protesting against it.
Aaditya Thackeray refuses to comment on the Disha Salian case, while Nitesh Rane insists the matter is not closed and justice will be served.
Clashes broke out between Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party workers in Dadar area in Mumbai on Wednesday after the youth wing of the BJP took out a protest march against 'offensive' remarks in the Sena mouthpiece Saamana about the land deal controversy in Ayodhya.
A non-cognisable offence is being filed against Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad in connection with the assault of a canteen worker at the MLA hostel. The incident sparked outrage after a video surfaced showing Gaikwad assaulting the worker over allegedly stale food.
Chandrabhaga Shinde, one of the Shiv Sena's oldest supporters, made the journey to Matoshree, Shiv Sena supremo Uddhav Thackeray's home in Kala Nagar, the artist's enclave in Bandra East, north west Mumbai, on Friday, June 24, 2022.
The T20 World Cup-winning Indian team returned to New Delhi from Barbados on Thursday morning to a euphoric reception.
'The same thing takes place in the Congress and we have to call it democracy'
I was lucky to be born to the family of Balasaheb Thackeray, Uddhav said.
A separate ministry for welfare of nomadic tribes, 15 per cent quota in jobs and educational institutions for economically backward classes and stabilising prices have been promised in the manifesto of Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance for the October 13 Maharashtra assembly elections.
MNS leader Abhijit Panse on Thursday met Raut, leading to speculation about a possible truce between the estranged Thackeray cousins against the backdrop of the changed political situation in Maharashtra.
The 10-day-old BJP-led Mahayuti alliance ministry in Maharashtra was expanded on Sunday, with 39 ministers being sworn in, taking its strength to 42. The BJP secured 19 ministerial berths, followed by 11 for the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and 9 for Ajit Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party. Governor P C Radhakrishnan administered the oath to the new ministers at the ceremony held in Nagpur. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar were present.
Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray leader Uddhav Thackeray and his MLA son Aaditya Thackeray on Tuesday met with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar on the premises of Vidhan Bhavan in Nagpur.
Keeping in mind the bitter backdrop in which the two Sena factions are likely to come face-to-face with each other on October 5, the Mumbai police, along with the Maharashtra administration, are leaving nothing to chance.
Ministers will not be allowed to hold official meetings and meet visitors in the legislature complex during the session. They will have to conduct their official briefings and meetings in Mantralaya, the state secretariat, he said.
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis expressed gratitude to Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray for their positive remarks in a coffee table book released on his birthday, emphasizing that they are ideological opponents, not enemies.
Thackeray, considered a soft-spoken man vis-a-vis his aggressive father, took oath as the 18th chief minister under the tripartite alliance in November 2019, the first in his family to hold a public office.
The Devendra Fadnavis-led ministry in Maharashtra has successfully passed a trust vote in the state assembly, securing a commanding majority of 230 seats in the 288-member house. The BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP 'Mahayuti' coalition, with a majority mark of 144, had a comfortable win with the support of smaller parties and independent MLAs. The trust motion was tabled by Shiv Sena MLA Uday Samant and others, and was passed by a voice vote. The 15th legislative assembly began its tenure on December 7, and the floor test was considered a mere formality. Fadnavis was sworn in as the chief minister for the third time on December 5, with Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar as deputy chief ministers.
The deadline set by the Supreme Court for delivering the verdict was December 31, 2023, but some days before that, on December 15, the apex court gave a 10-day extension and set January 10 as the new date for a decision.
Maharashtra assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar has said he does not see any hurdle in issuing an order by January 10, 2024 on the cross-petitions filed by rival factions of the Shiv Sena seeking disqualification of each other's MLAs.
MLAs cutting across party lines spoke about Thursday's clash, and expressed concern over overcrowding in the legislature premises.
Rebel Shiv Sena MLAs who support Shinde returned to Mumbai from Goa on Saturday evening on the eve of the Assembly session, and were lodged in a luxury hotel in south Mumbai, where Vidhan Bhavan, venue of the floor test, is located.
Kishori Pednerkar also accused Raj of being responsible for Bal Thackeray's "self-torture".
'The impression that Uddhav saheb is naram (soft or not-so-aggressive), anukool (congenial), manmilau (amiable) is true.' 'But he is Balasaheb's son. So, aggression comes naturally to him.'
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