Page 11 - Maharashtra Government

BJP's Rahul Narwekar elected unopposed as speaker of Maharashtra Assembly

BJP MLA Rahul Narwekar was on Monday elected unopposed as the speaker of the 15th Maharashtra legislative assembly. Narwekar filed his nomination papers on Sunday and was elected unopposed as the opposition alliance Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) decided not to put up a contest. The BJP leader, who was the speaker in the 14th assembly for two and a half years, was re-elected from the Colaba assembly seat in Mumbai in the November 20 assembly elections. The speaker's election will be followed by a floor test to prove the new government's strength. Governor CP Radhakrishnan will then address the joint session of both Houses of the state legislature. During his tenure as Maharashtra assembly speaker, Narwekar had ruled that the party led by Eknath Shinde was the legitimate and real Shiv Sena after a split in the Bal Thackeray-founded party. He also held that the faction under Ajit Pawar was the real Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which was founded by Sharad Pawar. In the recently conclu

Maharashtra govt steps up efforts to get Unesco tag for Lonar lake

The Maharashtra government plans to submit a proposal to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to include the famous Lonar Lake in Buldhana district in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list, officials have said. The move aims to elevate the site as a global hub for tourism and research, besides boosting its conservation, they said. Amravati Divisional Commissioner Nidhi Pandey recently met officials from various departments at Lonar to discuss the proposal. This proposal will soon be presented, marking a significant step towards achieving recognition, Pandey told PTI. Buldhana District Collector Kiran Patil said the proposal is in its final stage. "We will submit it once it is polished. Unlike other UNESCO sites, Lonar Lake presents a unique mix of several categories. It is a geographical and scientific wonder, formed from a meteor impact, he said. The official said the lake in Lonar, about 460 km from Mumbai, is home to several temples, some dating back over 1,200 years. The

Raj Thackeray has lost relevance, Mahayuti does not need him: Athawale

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray has lost relevance and is not needed by the ruling Mahayuti, Union minister Ramdas Athawale said on Sunday. The MNS failed to win a single seat in the November 20 Maharashtra assembly polls, which were swept by the Mahayuti, the losers including the party chief's son Amit Thackeray from Mumbai's Mahim constituency. "Raj Thackeray thought power could not come without him. His dreams have been shattered. With me in the alliance, there is no place for Raj Thackeray. He changes his strategies and the colour of his party flag. It reflects his diminishing relevance," said Athawale, whose Republican Party of India (A) has been with the BJP-led NDA for over a decade. Speaking to reporters in Nashik, the Union minister of state for social justice and empowerment also expressed confidence that his party will get representation in the Devendra Fadnavis government. Slamming the Maha Vikas Aghadi for blaming EVM "misuse" for the crushing defeat in

Oppn mislead people on EVMs instead of accepting defeat: Mahayuti leaders

The ruling Mahayuti alliance on Sunday accused leaders of the opposition parties of misleading people about electronic voting machines (EVMs) instead of accepting the losses it faced in the Maharashtra assembly elections. The November 20 elections saw the Mahayuti alliance of the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP achieve a landslide victory by clinching 230 out of 288 assembly seats. The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, comprising the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP), managed just 46 seats. The opposition bloc has since claimed irregularities in the EVMs and demanded the use of ballot papers. Speaking to reporters, Shiv Sena leader Uday Samant slammed the opposition for indulging in double standards. "It is because of the MVA's double standards that the Samajwadi Party has parted from the alliance. Yesterday, they boycotted the oath-taking ceremony, and today, they will hopefully take oath as members, which will again highlight their double standards," he said. He claimed the opposition

Eknath Shinde was unwilling to join new govt, says Shiv Sena leader

Shiv Sena leader Uday Samant on Friday said deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde did not want to join the new Maharashtra government and instead wanted to focus on building his party. But the Shiv Sena chief, who served as chief minister in the previous Mahayuti government, relented due to the demand of the party leaders, he said. "Eknath Shinde was not interested in becoming deputy CM. Party MLAs and leaders insisted that he should be part of the government because it is his responsibility to ensure that the schemes he launched are taken forward," Samant told reporters. After the swearing-in ceremony on Thursday, Shinde spoke to Shiv Sena leaders at the party office, he said. "He told us he wanted to build the organisation but honoured our request," Samant said. Devendra Fadnavis was sworn in as chief minister on Thursday while Shinde and NCP chief Ajit Pawar took oath as his deputies, two weeks after the BJP-led Mahayuti coalition won a massive victory in the assembly elections.

How Devendra Fadnavis convinced Eknath Shinde to join Maharashtra govt

Devendra Fadnavis, who became the Maharashtra CM for the third time, revealed how he convinced a reluctant Eknath Shinde to join the government

Ambanis, Noel Tata, other industry leaders attend Fadnavis swearing-in

Captains of the industry, including richest Indian Mukesh Ambani and Tata Trusts Chairman Noel Tata, attended the swearing-in of Devendra Fadnavis as Chief Minister of Maharashtra on Thursday. Ambani, the chairman of Reliance Industries, was accompanied by his son Anant and daughter-in-law Radhika at the public event held at Azad Maidan in the country's financial capital. Others present at the swearing-in, which was also attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, included Mukesh's younger brother Anil Ambani. The event, held at the ground which has served as a protest site since colonial times, saw thousands of people from the general public in attendance. Shiv Sena's Eknath Shinde and NCP's Ajit Pawar also took oath as Deputy Chief Ministers. Billionaire Kumarmangalam Birla, another city-based industrialist, also attended the event along with his daughter Ananya. The father-daughter duo was seated close to financial services industry veteran Deepak Parekh. Sun Pharma's Dilip Sha

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis' net worth, assets and properties

Devendra Fadnavis will take the oath as Maha CM today at 5:30 pm at Azad Maidan in Mumbai, with PM Narendra Modi and Amit Shah in attendance. The Mahayuti alliance won the Assembly elections

Maha CM oath ceremony highlights: Devendra Fadnavis becomes Maharashtra Chief Minister for 3rd time

Devendra Fadnavis oath taking ceremony live: Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde had indicated that he was reluctant to join the new government as deputy CM. Catch all the latest live updates here

No Sena MLA to be in new govt if Shinde doesn't become dy CM: Party leader

Shiv Sena leader Uday Samant on Thursday said no MLA from the party will accept any responsibility in the new Maharashtra government if Eknath Shinde does not take oath as deputy chief minister. Talking to reporters hours ahead of the swearing-in ceremony, Samant also said no MLA from the Shiv Sena has the intention to become deputy CM and the post should be occupied only by Shinde. Shiv Sena head Eknath Shinde, who served as chief minister in the outgoing government, has indicated that he is reluctant to join the new government as deputy CM. BJP legislature party leader Devendra Fadnavis will be sworn-in as the new chief minister of Maharashtra on Thursday evening at a grand ceremony here to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Fadnavis would be taking oath along with two deputy chief ministers, BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar told reporters earlier in the day. "If Eknath Shinde does not accept the deputy CM's post, no MLA from Shiv Sena will accept any responsibility in th

Teacher remembers 'back bencher' Fadnavis as kind, polite, helpful student

Devendra Fadnavis, who is set to become the chief minister of Maharashtra for a third time, was a sensitive, polite and helpful student who never boasted about his family's political background, recalls one of his school teachers. He used to sit on the back row benches in the school as he was one of the taller students, says Savitri Subramanium, who was Fadnavis' teacher in Saraswati Vidyalaya here from Class 8 to 10. Fadnavis was on Wednesday unanimously elected as the Maharashtra BJP legislature party leader, paving the way for his swearing in as the chief minister for a third time. His first stint as the CM was for a full five-year term between 2014 to 2019, while the second one lasted just around 80 hours in November 2019. A six-time MLA who served as the youngest mayor of Nagpur, Fadnavis completed his school education in Nagpur - the second capital of Maharashtra. Recalling his nature, Subramanium said, "Fadnavis was average and unextraordinary in studies, but studied well. .

No sudden 'surge' in last hour of polling in Maharashtra, says official

Maharashtra's Chief Electoral Officer S Chockalingam has said the seven per cent increase in voter turnout in the last hour of polling for the state assembly elections was not a surge, as claimed by the opposition, but an "average" process. In a video statement on Monday, Chockaligam said Maharashtra is a large state with more than one lakh polling booths. "If 76 lakh voters turn up in the last hour of polling, it is only (an average of) 76 voters in each of the polling centres," he added. The assembly elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand were held last month. While the BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 of the 288 seats in Maharashtra, the JMM-led alliance bagged 56 seats in the 81-member Jharkhand assembly. 'Unlike Jharkhand, Maharashtra votes more in the later half of the day. Whereas in Jharkhand, most of the voting takes place in the first half," Chockalingam said. Jharkhand is a small state compared to Maharashtra and its voting ends at 5 pm, whereas voting in Maharashtra is allow

Sitharaman accuses 'Congress-led MVA govt' of delaying key projects

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday accused the past "Congress-led government" of stalling key infrastructure projects in Maharashtra including the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train and Mumbai Metro car shed in Aarey Colony. The previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government of the Congress, undivided Nationalist Congress Party and undivided Shiv Sena also created hurdles when the Union government tried to resolve the issues plaguing Mumbai's suburban railway network, she claimed. Sitharaman was speaking at a meeting of the state BJP legislature party where Devendra Fadnavis was elected as its leader ahead of the swearing-in of the new BJP-led government. Sitharaman, along with Vijay Rupani, was present as a central observer. "Had the Congress-led government not been in power in Maharashtra during the MVA period, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train would have already commenced," she said. Sitharaman also questioned the delay in the Aarey car shed construction, part of the

SC defers bail plea of advocate Gadling in 2016 Surjagarh mine arson case

The state sought adjournment on the ground that some documents are yet to be filed

Maharashtra polls proved 'ek hain toh safe hain': CM-elect Fadnavis

An official invitation card of swearing-in ceremony sourced from Fadnavis' office states that he is set to take oath as chief minister of the State at Azad Maidan in Mumbai at 5:30 pm on December 5

BJP to elect legislature party leader who would become next Maharashtra CM

The crucial legislature party meeting of the BJP will be held at the Maharashtra Vidhan Bhavan on Wednesday to elect its leader, who is expected take over as the next chief minister of the state. Former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis is being seen as the frontrunner for the top post in the new BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP Mahayuti government. The BJP legislature party leader elected in the meeting is then expected to meet the governor to stake a claim to form new government in the state. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani have been appointed as central observers for the BJP legislature party meeting. Rupani, who arrived in Mumbai Tuesday evening for the meeting, said late night that the legislature party leader's name will be finalised after talks with the party's newly-elected MLAs. If there is unanimity, then only one name will be selected, he said. The BJP achieved remarkable success in the November 20 Maharashtra elections, securin

Maharashtra caretaker CM Eknath Shinde briefly hospitalised, discharged

Eknath Shinde has been suffering from a high fever and sore throat, prompting his doctors to advise him to cancel all engagements and focus on rest

Maharashtra CM to be announced on Dec 4; Fadnavis likely to take charge

Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar from the Nationalist Congress Party are expected to be sworn in as deputy chief ministers alongside Devendra Fadnavis

Shrikant Shinde dismisses speculations of him becoming Maharashtra dy CM

Shiv Sena MP Srikant Shinde, the son of Maharashtra's caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, on Monday said the speculations about him getting the deputy CM's post in the new state government were false and baseless. In a post on X, the parliamentarian also said he had the chance of becoming a minister at the Centre after the Lok Sabha polls held earlier this year, but he refused it and he wanted to focus on working for the party organisation. More than a week after the Mahayuti clinched a massive victory in Maharashtra polls with the BJP emerging as the single largest party with 132 seats, the new government is yet to be sworn in. The oath-taking ceremony of the Mahayuti government is scheduled for December 5 evening at Azad Maidan in Mumbai in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The name of Devendra Fadnavis has been finalised as the new chief minister of Maharashtra, a senior BJP leader claimed on Sunday night. Eknath Shinde left for his native village in Satara dist

Mahayuti will have CM with absolute consensus: Shiv Sena's Shaina NC

Emphasising that decision on CM's face will totally come from the alliance's leadership, she said that Mahayuti leadership will act in consultation with all the stakeholders to decide Chief Minister