Uddhav Thackeray, 59, heads an alliance of the Shiv Sena, Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress, also called Maha Vikas Aghadi. The alliance won with 169 votes, well above the half-way mark of 145 in the 288-member assembly. The three parties together have 154 MLAs. Some Independents and others like Bahujan Vikas Aghadi too backed the Uddhav Thackeray-led alliance. Four MLAs abstained from voting, the temporary Speaker said.

Mr Thackeray, wearing a saffron turban, thanked House members. "I thank all the members for trusting me. I also thank the people of the state. It is not possible to work without their blessings," he said. This was his first time in the House. Behind him sat his son Aaditya, along with another Sena MLA, all wearing saffron turbans.

Mr Fadnavis alleged that Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and other ministers were sworn-in in an "illegal" way. Pro-tem Speaker Dilip Walse Patil, said, "You are raising an issue which is of out of the house."

"Never in the history of Maharashtra assembly, a trust vote was conducted without electing a Speaker. What was the fear this time?" Mr Fadnavis said, moments before the BJP staged a walkout. Responding to Mr Fadnavis, Mr Patil said that the special session was being convened with the permission of Governor BS Koshyari and hence is not against the rules.

Earlier on Saturday, the BJP had said it may approach the Supreme Court against the change of the temporary Speaker. The party has nominated MLA Kisan S Kathore as its candidate for Sunday's Speaker's election against the Congress MLA Nana Patolem, the nominee of the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance.

"You (the BJP) feel stung when we took names of Chhatrapati Shivaji (while taking oath). I will take the name again and again. Those who don't take names of their parents,

have no right to live," he said. "It is not Maharashtra's culture when you think taking name of Chhatrapati Shivaji and parents is a crime," Uddhav Thackeray said, taking on the opposition.

On Wednesday, all the MLAs who were elected in last month's election were sworn-in in the assembly as per a Supreme Court order. It was a rare occasion when the House assembled for the session without the formation of a government and appointment of a Chief Minister.

Mr Thackeray, who took oath as the Chief Minister at a mega event in Mumbai on Thursday evening, did not participate in the voting process as he is not an MLA.

The Sena chief was the eighth person to take oath as Maharashtra Chief Minister without being an MLA. According to provisions of the Constitution, any leader who is not a member of the Assembly or Council has to become member of the legislature within six months of taking oath of the post.