Fadnavis to seek vote of confidence Wednesday

The stage is set for Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to seek a vote of confidence in his minority government Wednesday as a special three-day session of the state assembly started here Monday.

Governor C. V. Rao administered the oath to Pro-Tem Speaker J.P. Gavit at a ceremony in Raj Bhavan this morning, following which the oath-taking of individual legislators of the 13th Assembly started in Vidhan Bhavan.

The Bharatiya Janata Party has an effective strength of 121 members in the 288-member house after one legislator died recently, and the support of one member of pre-poll ally Rashtriya Samaj Paksha.

The Nationalist Congress Party with 41 members has offered its "unconditional external support" to the BJP with party chief Sharad Pawar saying that his party would not allow political instability in the state.

The Shiv Sena has however warned that if BJP takes the support of NCP for sailing through the vote of confidence, it (Sena) would sit in the opposition.

The party has also announced plans to contest the post of assembly speaker which will be held Wednesday prior to the vote of confidence, followed by the governor's address.

The belligerent Sena which occupied the opposition benches Monday, said that talks with the BJP on power-sharing have stalled.

It has given BJP two days' time to respond to its latest demand of rejecting NCP support before taking a final decision on sitting in the opposition.

The Congress which is sitting in the opposition is planning to seek the post of leader of opposition, pushing the Sena into a tight corner over its stance on supporting the Fadnavis government.