New Delhi: A two-day special session of the Maharashtra assembly will be convened from 3 July to elect the next Speaker and for new Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to prove his majority.
The nominations for the Speaker would be filed on 2 July, followed by the election on 3 July. The vote of confidence for the new government will be held on 4 July.
Shiv Sena rebel-in-chief Eknath Shinde, whose coup toppled the previous Uddhav Thackeray government, was sworn in as chief minister on Thursday evening. New ally Bharatiya Janata Party’s Devendra Fadnavis – a former chief minister – is now the deputy.
There was much drama Thursday evening before Fadnavis took up a junior position in the new government.
At a joint conference with Shinde late afternoon — while announcing that the rebe Sena leader would be the next chief minister — Fadnavis had said he would himself stay out of the ministry.
But Union Home Minister Amit Shah tweeted later that Fadnavis had consented to being part of the government on the advice of BJP chief J.P. Nadda.
He had shown a big heart, Shah said, adding, “(Fadnavis) has decided to be part of the government in the interest of Maharashtra and the people of the state. This decision reflects his true dedication and attitude of service towards Maharashtra.”
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