Devendra Fadnavis, Ajit Pawar Quit: Special Assembly Session Today

MUMBAI: In a major political defeat for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday quit, hours after Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar had submitted his resignation — barely 80 hours after they were sworn in on November 23 early morning. Their resignations have made the apex court ruling redundant. The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered an Assembly floor test on November 27, with open voting and live telecast.

Meanwhile, Fadnavis told a crowded media conference here on Tuesday afternoon,“Ajit Pawar handed in his resignation to me this morning on personal grounds. So, now we don’t have the requisite numbers to continue. Accordingly, I have decided to resign. I shall meet the Governor and submit my resignation today.”

Fadnavis took charge of his new assignment on Monday morning, but Ajit Pawar, who did not take charge, decided to quit and gave his resignation letter to the CM on Tuesday morning.

He said the BJP will now sit in the Opposition and perform in a constructive manner, raise the issues of the farmers, the poor and other sections of society.

Fadnavis also thanked the people of Maharashtra and the BJP, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP President and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, his colleagues and legislators for reposing faith in him and giving him an opportunity to serve for the past five years as the State CM.

The political development was greeted with distribution of sweets and celebrations by activists of the Shiv Sena, Natioanlist Congress Party and Congress, besides other smaller parties.

Earlier, Fadnavis renewed his tirade against the Shiv Sena for insulting the “public mandate” which it had got in alliance with the BJP and deciding to ally with other parties.

This is the second time in 80 hours that the State was rocked after Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar were quietly sworn in during an early morning ceremony on Saturday at Raj Bhavan by Governor BS Koshyari, sparking a nationwide furore.

The following day, Sunday, the Sena-NCP-Congress moved the Supreme Court for an urgent hearing which was granted and the matter posted for Monday.

After the hearing on Monday, the apex Court on Tuesday said a Pro-Tem Speaker would be appointed and the floor test would be conducted with open voting and the proceedings would be telecast live.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday held an urgent meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national working president JP Nadda here at his chamber in Parliament on Maharashtra’s political conundrum, sources said. The about 30-minute meeting of the top BJP leaders was held soon after the conclusion of a joint sitting on the occasion of the 70th Constitution Day, and following the judgment of the Supreme Court which earlier in the day ordered a floor test by 5 pm on Wednesday after considering the competing claims of the Opposition parties

It is learnt that the Prime Minister took stock of the political situation in Maharashtra where MLAs from the newly minted ‘Maha Vikash Aghadi’ alliance of the Congress, Nationalist Congress Party and Shiv Sena gathered in a massive show of strength on Monday expressing confidence to secure victory during the floor test.

The meeting also focused on Monday’s claim projected through a letter submitted by leaders of the Sena, the Congress and the NCP before Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari of inviting them to form the government stating that the BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis would not be able to prove majority on the floor of the House. (IANS)

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