Mere hours after media reports claimed Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray was going to be Maharashtra’s chief ministry, BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis has been sworn in as the state’s leader, ending the state’s deadlock in a surprise twist.
Last night, everyone expected to wake up to a NCP-Congress-Shiv Sena government.
However, PTI reported that president’s rule was revoked at 5:47am on Saturday, 23 November.
In an even more surprising development, the National Congress Party (NCP’s) Ajit Pawar is going to be deputy chief minister of the state, leading to questions about whether Ajit has split from NCP leader Sharad Pawar.
Soon after news of the swearing in ceremony broke, the senior Pawar took to Twitter to confirm that Ajit has broken away from the NCP.
However, ANI quoted sources as saying the senior Pawar was the mastermind behind the bait and switch, and Ajit acted with his assent.
Fadnavis, after being sworn in, said, “People had given us a clear mandate, but Shiv Sena tried to ally with other parties after results, as a result President’s rule was imposed. Maharashtra needed a stable govt not a ‘khichdi’ govt.
Maharashtra’s assembly election results left the state on tenterhooks after the BJP and Shiv Sena failed to get a majority and also ally with each other, with both parties jostling for the top job.
This led to an elaborate political dance between the Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena, with many believing, up until this morning, that the three parties would rule Maharashtra in a three-party alliance.