In massive show of strength, Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress parade 162 MLAs at Mumbai hotel
NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray present at the hotel
NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray present at the hotel
NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray present at the hotel
NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray present at the hotel
In a combined show of strength, the Shiv Sena, the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party have “paraded” their 162 legislators at a five-star hotel in Mumbai even as the Supreme Court is all set to deliver its verdict on Tuesday on a petition filed by the three parties against the formation of government by the BJP in the state.
Earlier, senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut had tweeted, urging Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari to come and witness the strength of the alliance.
"We are all one and together, watch our 162 together for the first time at grand Hyatt at 7 pm, come and watch yourself @maha_governor,” Raut tweeted.
An NCP leader told PTI that the motive behind the move was to turn the public perception towards them. “Once we parade 162 MLAs in one hall, the entire nation will come to know that BJP is playing a dirty game in Maharashtra by misusing office of the governor," he said.
MLAs of the three-party alliance, which calls itself 'Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi', were staying at different hotels in the city.
The Shiv Sena said it had submitted the signatures of 63 MLAs (including independents), while the Congress and the NCP claimed to have submitted signatures of 44 and 51 MLAs respectively.
The Aghadi's show of strength came two days after the BJP, in a surprise move, formed government in the state with the help of rebel NCP leader Ajit Pawar. BJP's Devendra Fadnavis took oath as the chief minister while Ajit was sworn in as the deputy chief minister in the early morning on Saturday.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar, however, on Monday said he was not behind Ajit Pawar's decision to align with the BJP and asserted that his party along with Congress and Shiv Sena will form the next government in Maharashtra.
The BJP is the single largest party with 105 MLAs in the 288-member state assembly followed by the Shiv Sena (56), NCP (54) and Congress (44). The Sena broke its three-decade-long ties with the BJP after the latter declined to share the chief minister's post.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Monday said he was not behind Ajit Pawar's decision to align with the BJP and become the deputy chief minister and asserted that his party along with Congress and Shiv Sena will form the next government in Maharashtra.