Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray Swearing-in Updates: The Shiv Sena chief was sworn in as the 18th chief minister of the state at Shivaji Park in Dadar today. Six ministers - Eknath Shinde, Subhash Desai, Jayant Patil, Chhagan Bhujbal, Balasaheb Thorat and Nitin raut were sworn in as Cabinet ministers. A Cabinet meeting will be held at 8 pm today at Sahyadri Guest House

Auto refresh feeds

The invitation to Banerjee, who is a staunch critic of the BJP, for the Thursday oath taking reached the CMO Wednesday afternoon, they said. Whether Banerjee will be in Mumbai for the swearing-in is yet to be confirmed, the sources said.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has been invited to the swearing-in of Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray as the new chief minister of Maharashtra, sources at the CMO said on Wednesday.

Contrary to popular belief, Bal Thackeray was a supporter of several of Indira Gandhi's policies. In fact, Shiv Sena has, on more than one occasion, lent support to the Congress. Thackeray had also supported the Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi in 1975 when most of the other parties were vehemently protesting against it.

"Balasaheb Thackeray's dream fulfilled, Chief Minister from Shiv Sena," reads the poster. The Sena patriarch is seen greeting Indira in a throwback picture on the poster which also features Uddhav and Aaditya Thackeray.

As the stage is set for the newly formed alliance of Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress — the 'Maha Vikas Aghadi' — led by Uddhav Thackeray to form the government in Maharashtra, a poster was seen near Shiv Sena Bhawan in Mumbai featuring a picture of Bal Thackeray and Indira Gandhi.

The political developments in Maharashtra come after BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis submitted his resignation as Chief Minister to the Governor on Tuesday as "the BJP fell short of the required number of MLAs to win the scheduled floor test".

Top Shiv Sena leaders have said that they are fulfilling the promise made to their party's founder Bal Thackeray of having a chief minister from the party. Bal Thackeray founded the Shiv Sena in 1966 to advocate for the interests of the people of Maharashtra in Mumbai's political and professional landscape.

Uddhav Thackeray is set to take oath as the Chief Minister of the state on Thursday at Shivaji Park at 6:40 pm.

Thursday's swearing in ceremony follows days of dramatic political developments, which included a three-day government formed by unexpected support from Ajit , who has since returned to the NCP fold.

The last Sena man to occupy the chief minister's chair was Narayan Rane in 1999, after Manohar Joshi, who in 1995 became the first Sena chief minister.

After Uddhav Thackeray's swearing in, Maharashtra will have a chief minister from the Shiv Sena after 20 years. Uddhav, 59, will be sworn in as the chief minister in an evening ceremony at the sprawling Shivaji Park, where his father and Sena founder Bal Thackeray addressed his famous Dussehra rallies.

Aaditya Thackeray had a brief meeting with Gandhi at her 10, Janpath residence in the national capital. The Congress tweeted a photo of the two leaders from its official Twitter handle.

But sources told NDTV that both Sonia and Rahul Gandhi along with Singh conveyed their good wishes but said they won't be able to travel for the swearing-in ceremony. Though Rahul has distanced himself from the Sena, he lashed out at the ruling BJP in parliament over the sudden government formation in Maharashtra and said: "There is no point in my asking the question as democracy has been murdered in Maharashtra."

Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray on Wednesday night separately met Congress president Sonia Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi and invited them for Uddhav Thackeray's swearing-in as Maharashtra chief minister.

Legislature secretary Rajendra Bhagwat said a decision on the date for Speaker's election will be taken after the Cabinet meeting, following the swearing-in of Uddhav Thackeray as chief minister.

A special session of the 14th state Assembly was held in Mumbai on Wednesday where oath was administered to 285 newly- elected members by pro tem Speaker Kalidas Kolambkar.

The Congress will get the Assembly Speaker's post while the NCP will get deputy Speaker's post, he said after a meeting of the 'Maha Vikas Aghadi'. He also said that alongwith Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, one or two members of each of the three parties will take oath as ministers.

Ahead of today's swearing in ceremony, there is speculation that Ajit Pawar may be inducted into the new Cabinet.​ NCP leader Praful Patel on Wednesday said his party will get the deputy chief minister's post in the new Shiv ​Sena-led government.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, NCP's Praful Patel said all issues had been sorted out and added that the deputy chief minister would be from the NCP, whereas the Assembly Speaker will be from the Congress. According to ANI, he also said that the number of ministers to be sworn in along with the chief minister will be finalised during the night. However, it is likely that one or two ministers from every party will be sworn in on Thursday, he added.

Ahead of Uddhav Thackeray's swearing-in as Maharashtra chief minister on Thursday, the Maha Vikas Aghadi of the Nationalist Congress Party, Congress and Shiv Sena on Wednesday held a six-hour meeting in Mumbai to iron out the modalities of government formation.

According to ANI, NCP sources have claimed that party leader Ajit Pawar is likely to be the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra but will not be taking an oath in today's ceremony.

There will be no entry for vehicles on Swatantra Veer Savarkar Road, Raja Bodhe Chowk junction upto Keluskar Road, Lt. Dilip Gupte Marg, Gadkari Chowk and Bal Govindas Marg. Police said, all public parking lots will be free for parking on Thursday.

Meanwhile, hoardings welcoming the new government in Maharashtra and party flags of Shiv Sena and Congress were put up on the stretch from Dadar TT to Shivaji Park.

Around 2,000 policemen will be deployed at the Shivaji Park in Mumbai's Dadar for the 6:40 pm swearing in ceremony on Thursday. Elaborate security arrangements were seen outside Matoshree, the bungalow of Uddhav Thackeray, who is set to sworn-in as 18th Chief Minister of Maharashtra today evening.

On being asked if Ajit Pawar would be appointed as the deputy chief minister, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said, "I don't know, it is NCP's matter. Sharad Pawar is the seniormost leader of 'Maha Vikas Aghadi' (Shiv Sena-Congress-NCP), what post should be given to Ajit Pawar or someone else in his party, will be decided by him."

Names of Ashok Chavan and another former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan are doing the rounds for the post of Assembly Speaker.

"Thorat is also expected to take oath today," a Congress source said. Former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan could be the second leader from the Congress to be sworn in as minister on Thursday. "But, a decision on this will be taken in a few hours," the source said.

NCP leader Praful Patel on Wednesday said one or two​ MLAs each from his party, the Shiv Sena and the Congress will be sworn in as ministers at the ceremony. "Bhujbal and Patil are expected to be sworn in as ministers from the NCP. Ajit Dada is likely to be the deputy CM. But, he is unlikely to take oath today," a source in the​ NCP said.

NCP leaders Chhagan Bhujbal and​ Jayant Patil and Maharashtra Congress unit chief Balasaheb Thorat are likely to take oath as state ministers on Thursday, sources in the two parties said. The deputy chief minister's post may go to NCP MLA​ Ajit Pawar, they said.

With the stage set for Uddhav Thackeray's swearing in ceremony, senior Sena leader tweeted the famous Bollywood movie dialogue "How is the Josh?" .Raut has been vocal against the former ally, BJP after the two parties sparred over the post of chief minister.

Addressing the Congress Parliamentary Party meeting in Parliament House, she also attacked the Governor of the state and said that he acted in an "unprecedented and reprehensible manner".All party MPs from Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were present in the meeting.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Thursday hit out at the BJP accusing it of making shameless attempts to "subvert democracy" in Maharashtra and to blatantly sabotage the three-party alliance from coming to power in the state.

He also alleged that BJP used all tactics to prevent Sena from forming the government. "From President House to Governor and ED to CBI -— everything was used," the Sena leader said, adding that the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress government will complete its full term.

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said that the swearing-in of Uddhav Thackeray as Maharashtra chief minister will affect national politics."What is going to happen in Maharashtra will affect national politics. Maharashtra is a state which influences the politics of the entire country," Raut told media persons ahead of Thackeray's scheduled oath-taking ceremony.

"People will not be allowed to carry any bags, including those meant to keep laptops, and water bottles inside the park," he said. Frisking of every individual will be done before being allowed to enter the venue, he added.

Dog squads will also be on duty to maintain a vigil at the sprawling ground, located in Dadar area, he said. Police personnel in civil clothes will also be deployed, the official said, adding that drones and CCTV cameras will be used to monitor the crowd.

The iconic venue will turn into a virtual fortress as personnel drawn from various security forces, including Quick Response Teams, Riot Control Police, State Reserve Police Force, Local Armed Police and Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad will be deployed to prevent any untoward incident.

At least 2,000 police personnel will guard the Shivaji Park in Mumbai on Thursday evening as part of the elaborate security arrangements being made for the swearing-in ceremony of Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray as chief minister of Maharashtra, a police official said.

"Today’s sunrise is writing a new history. The government of Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi is coming to power. Uddhavji Thackeray is going to be sworn in as chief minister. We all should work towards taking Maharashtra on the growth path again. Good wishes," Supriya Sule wrote on the microblogging site.

Ahead of swearing-in ceremony of Uddhav Thackeray as CM in Mumbai today, NCP leader and MP Supriya Sule took to Twitter saying the new day will see history being created.

Many activists are planning to reach Shivaji Park for the 6.40 pm oath ceremony to remind Uddhav about the promise he had made ahead of the state polls.

“We all are hopeful as the parties that had supported the ‘Save Aarey’ movement are coming to power. We expect that the Metro car depot will be moved out of Aarey Colony and it will be declared a forest, as they had promised time and again,” said Yash Marwah of Let India Breathe told The Indian Express.

Ahead of Uddhav Thackeray's swearing in ceremony as the chief minister on Thursday, activists and residents fighting to prevent a Metro car shed from being built at Aarey in Mumbai hope that the Shiv Sena chief will not forget the promise he had made to declare the area a forest.

"The current mood of happiness in the state can be equated with the one the entire country had at the time of Independence on August 15, 1947," the Marathi daily said.

With the single largest party BJP being unable to form government, the Sena described the change in political dynamics as the "rise of a new sun" in Maharashtra.

An editorial in Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' acknowledged​ Sharad Pawar's efforts in taking the Sena-NCP-Congress alliance forward. A strong and experienced 'margdarshak' like Sharad Pawar is with us. This government will not function with any deceitful intention against anyone," the Sena said.

Though the Shiv Sena espouses the Hindutva ideology, it formed the 'Maha Vikas Aghadi' alliance with the NCP and Congress when the Uddhav Thackeray-led party fell out with the​ BJP over the issue of sharing the chief minister's post after the last month's Assembly elections.

With Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray set to take oath as Maharashtra's chief minister, the party on Thursday heaped praises on NCP chief Sharad Pawar and termed him 'margdarshak' (guide) of the new government in the state.

DMK president MK Stalin arrived in Mumbai on Thursday to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the new government of the state, led by Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray as the chief minister.

NCP spokesperson clarifies reports claiming Ajit Pawar has switched off his mobile phone. The spokesperson told ANI, "Ajit Pawar has not gone incommunicado, he has intentionally switched off his mobile phone to avoid frequent calls. He will attend the swearing-in ceremony"

According to India Today sources, the Shiv Sena-Congress-NCP alliance's Common Minimum Programme is expected to be released at 4 pm on Thursday, just hours before Uddhav Thackeray's swearing-in ceremony.

The two had brothers had a fallout after Uddhav was chosen as the Sena Chief to succeed after Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray. Raj split from the family's political party to form the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena in 2005.

Chairperson of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, Raj Thackeray will be attending his estranged cousin and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thakceray's oath taking ceremony at Shivaji Park in Mumbai on Thursday, reports CNN-News18. Earlier in the day, Uddhav had called Raj and invited him to the swearing-in.

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.

The then Congress leader and current NCP chief Sharad Pawar also finds name among these leaders. Thackeray, 59, to be sworn in as chief minister at the​ Shivaji Park on Thursday evening, will become the eighth such leader.

Congress leaders AR Antulay, Vasantdada Patil,​ Shivajirao Nilangekar-Patil, Shankarrao Chavan, Sushilkumar Shinde and Prithviraj Chavan are among the leaders who were not members of any of the state legislature Houses when they occupied the top post.

Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray will on Thursday evening join the league of seven leaders who got the chief minister's post in Maharashtra when they were still not member of either the state Legislative Assembly or Council.

Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat, Shiv Sena's Eknath Shinde and NCP's Jayant Patil are to address a joint press conference at 4 pm, ahead of swearing-in ceremony of Shiv Sena chief and 'Maha Vikas Aghadi' leader Uddhav Thackeray, on Thursday, where the Common Minimum programme of the alliance is likely to be released.

Earlier, an NCP source also said that party leaders​ Bhujbal and Jayant Patil are expected to be sworn in as ministers.

He was speaking at an event organised in Pune to mark the death anniversary of social reformer Jyotiba Phule. Asked which portfolio he is expecting, Bhujbal said no decision has been taken on it. "Senior leaders from the party, including Pawar saheb, will decide on the portfolio issue," he added.

Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray is set to be sworn in as the chief minister at a ceremony to be held at the​ Shivaji Park in Mumbai's Dadar area in the evening. "NCP chief Sharad Pawar saheb has chosen two MLAs from the party to take oath as ministers and I am one of them. I will take oath as minister today evening," Bhujbal said.

Senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal said he will take oath as minister on Thursday evening in the new Maharashtra government of the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance.

Union minister Ramdas Athawale told ANI, that the BJP could have formed a government after showing majority, had the Supreme Court not given a deadline of 24 hours for the floor test. "Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar would not have resigned. It was difficult to prove majority in a short span of 24 hours." he alleged.

After NCP's Chaggan Bhujbal, Jayant Patil too has confirmed that he will be taking oath in the evening along side Shiv Sena's Uddhav Thackeray . However, Patil said his portfolio isn't yet decided.

The CBI had chargesheeted Chavan and 22 others in connection with the alleged irregularities committed in building the housing society. The agency had accused Chavan of approving additional floor space index for Adarsh Society in return for two flats for his relatives.

Chavan, former Maharashtra chief minister was acquitted in the Adarsh housing scam back in 2017. The charges on the Congress leader were eased after the Bombay High Court rejected then Governor Vidyasagar Rao's sanction to prosecute him.

According to CNN-News18, Congress leader Ashok Chavan's name has been withdrawn from the list of ministers who were expected to take oath later on Thursday. This comes after the Enforcement directorate began its probe into the Adarsh Society scam.

The petitioner's lawyer, Mathew Nedumpara, said there has been a breach of trust of the voters, who wanted the Sena and BJP to form government. To this, Chief Justice Nandrajog said, "Is the concept of divorce not new to the law of marriages."

However, two different benches of the high court refused to take up the petition for hearing. A division bench of Chief Justice Pradeep Nandrajog and Justice Bharati Dangre asked what was "unconstitutional and void" about the swearing-in ceremony of Thackeray.

The petitioners sought an urgent hearing of their plea, saying the Shiv Sena and BJP should have stood by their pre-poll alliance and formed government.

The Bombay High Court has refused to take up urgent hearing on a petition filed by a group of lawyers seeking a stay on the swearing-in of Uddhav Thackeray as chief minister of Maharashtra on Thursday evening.

Ministers appointed in the state cabinet will be announced in the coming days, says NCP leader Praful Patel. "A total six leaders, two from each party, will take oath today along with Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray," he further added.

Sources told ANI that Congress leaders Balasaheb Thorat and Nitin Raut will take oath as Ministers today at Shivaji Park. Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath reached Mumbai to attend Uddhav Thackeray, six ministers' swearing in at Shivaji Park.

Sharad Pawar and other senior leaders held extensive discussions to arrive at the common minimum programme. "All aspects that will focus on development and growth of Maharashtra have been looked at," BJP's Eknath shinde said. Shinde added that Uddhav Thackeray was elected unanimously as the leader of Maha Vikas Aghadi.

Committing to uphold secular values of the Constitution, the Common Minimum Programme of the Maha Vikas Aghadi, the alliance of NCP, Shiv Sena and Congress that is set to come to power in Maharashtra, mentioned immediate assistance and loan waivers to farmers in the Common Minimum Programme released at 4 pm. The programme also promised a revised crop insurance scheme, remunerative prices for farm produce and a sustainable water supply system for drought-affected areas.

The Common Minimum Programme assured the filling up of vacant state government posts, fellowship for educated unemployed youth and 80 percent reservation in jobs for local youths. Additionally, increasing the standard of education in the state and education loans at zero percent interest rate to children of labourers and students from economically weaker sections were promised.

The safety of women will be top priority, the Common Minimum Programme said. Additionally, girls from economically weaker sections will be given free education and working women’s hostels will be constructed. The government will also focus on strengthening women’s self-help groups with the aim to augment women’s empowerment.

In the Common Minimum Programme, the government promises to eliminate social, educational and economic backwardness of the minority community. Food at Rs 10 for the state’s common people and severe punishment for violators of the food and drug regulations were promised. Two coordination committees will be constitutes – one for coordination within the Maharashtra Cabinet and the other for coordination among the alliance partners.

At a press conference held by the Aghadi alliance partners, Shiv Sena's Eknath Shinde said apart from doing its best for the farmers, the "strong government" will take up the Nanar Refinery Project and bullet train project during the Cabinet meeting. NCP's Jayant Patil said that the first cabinet meeting will be held later today.

After being sworn in at Shivaji Park, Chief Minister designate Uddhav Thackeray will hold the newly-formed Maharashtra government's first Cabinet meeting at the Sahyadri guest house at 8 pm.

NCP supremo Sharad Pawar left for Shivaji Park from his residence to attend Uddhav Thackeray's swearing-in ceremony. He is accompanied by Supriya Sule and Sadanand Sule. even though Ajit Pawar visited Sharad Pawar's residence, he did not leave for the oath-taking ceremony's venue with him. Meanwhile, Balasaheb Thorat and Eknath Shinde have arrived at Shivaji Park.

Expressing regret about not being able to attend the swearing-in ceremony at Shivaji Park, he expressed confidence that the Aghadi alliance will be able to give Maharashtra a "stable, secure and pro-poor government".

Shiv Sena leaders Sajnay Raut and Priyanka Chaturvedi are present at Shivaji Park too. Ajit Pawar had been administered oath on 23 November as deputy chief minister with Devednra Fadnavis as the chief minister. He, however, resigned on 27 November and returned to the NCP fold.

The Shiv Sena chief will take oath as the chief minister soon. Uddhav Thackeray will be the eighth person to take oath as Maharashtra CM while not being a legislator. NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Congress leaders AR Antulay, Vasantdada Patil, Shivajirao Nilangekar-Patil, Shankarrao Chavan, Sushilkumar Shinde and Prithviraj Chavan are among the leaders who were not members of any of the state legislature Houses when they occupied the top post.

Two ministers each from the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party will be sworn in as minister next.

Bhujbal had spent over two years in jail over the Maharashtra Sadan Scam, before being released on bail. He had been a Shiv Sena strongman and was also the PWD Minister under the Congress-NCP government.

After the conclusion of the oath-taking ceremony at Shivaji Park in Dadar, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray visited the Siddhivinayak Temple with his wife Rashmi and their son and Worli MLA Aaditya.

Other leaders who arrived at Sahyadri Guest House included Ajit Pawar and Dilip Walase Patil of the NCP; Shiv Sena MPs Rajan Vichare, Anil Desai and Shrikant Shinde, and Sena Member of Legislative Council Anil Parab. The cabinet, in the first meeting, is supposed to decide on calling a special session of the Assembly to elect full-time Speaker who will conduct floor test, a senior IAS officer told PTI.

According to sources, Fadnavis, who hails from Nagpur, has started hunting for a new house in Mumbai as he and his family members will continue to reside in the metropolis. Fadnavis's wife Amrita works at a senior position in Axis Bank and their daughter also studies in Mumbai.

Former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis started vacating the official residence Varsha allotted to him in south Mumbai. A vehicle of a professional packers and movers company arrived at the residence in the afternoon to shift his belongings, a police official posted there told PTI.

Uddhav Thackeray needs to get elected to legislative assembly or council Since the Sena leader is currently not a legislator, he will have to get elected either to the legislative assembly or the council within six months of taking oath. Additionally, a floor test will be held in the Maharashtra Assembly by 3 December, for which the tripartite alliance will have to keep its flock of MLAs together.

Congratulations to Shri Uddhav Thackeray on taking oath as Maharashtra’s Chief Minister. I hope he will work towards fulfilling the people's aspirations and take Maharashtra forward on the road to development.

Wishing Uddhav Thackeray on being sworn in as the Maharashtra Chif Minister, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh expressed hope that he will take Maharashtra on the "road to development".

Trustees, alumni of Uddhav Thackeray's alma mater overjoyed by his swearing-in The news of swearing in of Uddhav Thackeray, a 1976-batch student of Balmohan Vidyamandir school, brought happiness and excitement among teachers, trustees and current and former students of the school. "This is a proud moment for the school as two of our students are taking oath of office," Guruprasad Rege, trustee and director of the school, told PTI. Jayant Patil, who took oath as a minister at Shivaji Park, was also a student of the same school. "I am very happy as my childhood friend Uddhav is becoming chief minister. I hope this government runs for 25 years. He has always been very simple, honest and calm since our school days," Thackeray's childhood friend Vinay Kore told PTI. "Actually he was a year senior to me. But a teacher scolded him for some reason on the very first day. It scared him so much that he did not attend school for one whole year," Kore said. Next year Bal Thackeray himself escorted him to school on the first day, Kore said

Other leaders who arrived at Sahyadri Guest House included Ajit Pawar and Dilip Walase Patil of the NCP; Shiv Sena MPs Rajan Vichare, Anil Desai and Shrikant Shinde, and Sena Member of Legislative Council Anil Parab. The cabinet, in the first meeting, is supposed to decide on calling a special session of the Assembly to elect full-time Speaker who will conduct floor test, a senior IAS officer told PTI.

According to sources, Fadnavis, who hails from Nagpur, has started hunting for a new house in Mumbai as he and his family members will continue to reside in the metropolis. Fadnavis's wife Amrita works at a senior position in Axis Bank and their daughter also studies in Mumbai.

Former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis started vacating the official residence Varsha allotted to him in south Mumbai. A vehicle of a professional packers and movers company arrived at the residence in the afternoon to shift his belongings, a police official posted there told PTI.

Former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis in a tweet in Marathi said, "The Maha Vikas Aghadi has made many tall claims in its common minimum programme. However, it has not even mentioned Marathwada, Vidarbha and North Maharashtra — regions that have remained underdeveloped for years. This is very unfortunate. Let us hope that the new government pays attention to this aspect."

In a press conference after the first Cabinet meet of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray announced that Rs 20 crore have been sanctioned for the reconstruction of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s capital in Raigad Fort. The project, which costs Rs 600 crore, has seen an expenditure of Rs 20 crore in the past, the Shiv Sena chief said. Promising that the alliance will Maharashtra a stable government, Thackeray said that he will check the reality of implementation of all state and Centre schemes aimed at helping farmers. “I don’t want just memorandums and announcements. I want to see the ground reality when it comes to farmers. The fact is that after the loan waiver, many didn’t get beenfits. I want to see to it that the money comes to the farmers,” he said. Responding to Devendra Fadnavis’ criticism of the common minimum programme not having a mention of Marathwada, Vidarbha and North Maharashtra, Uddhav said that the Cabinet’s vision is for the entire state, not for a particular region. He also said that the government’ aim is to make Maharashtra the top state in the country.

Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray Swearing-in LATEST Updates: The Shiv Sena chief was sworn in as the 18th chief minister of the state at Shivaji Park in Dadar today. Six ministers - Eknath Shinde, Subhash Desai, Jayant Patil, Chhagan Bhujbal, Balasaheb Thorat and Nitin raut were sworn in as Cabinet ministers. A Cabinet meeting will be held at 8 pm today at Sahyadri Guest House.

NCP leader Ajit Pawar reconfirmed that he would not take oath as a Maharashtra minister on Thursday. "I will not take oath today. Only Chhagan Bhujbal and Jayant Patil will take oath as ministers from the NCP," Ajit Pawar told reporters after a meeting of NCP leaders at party chief Sharad Pawar's residence in Mumbai.

Meanwhile, ministers appointed in the state cabinet will be announced in the coming days, says NCP leader Praful Patel. "A total six leaders, two from each party, will take oath today along with Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray," he further added.

The Bombay High Court has refused to take up urgent hearing on a petition filed by a group of lawyers seeking a stay on the swearing-in of Uddhav Thackeray as chief minister of Maharashtra on Thursday evening. The petitioners sought an urgent hearing of their plea, saying the Shiv Sena and BJP should have stood by their pre-poll alliance and formed the government.

However, two different benches of the high court refused to take up the petition for hearing. A division bench of Chief Justice Pradeep Nandrajog and Justice Bharati Dangre asked what was "unconstitutional and void" about the swearing-in ceremony of Thackeray. The petitioner's lawyer, Mathew Nedumpara, said there has been a breach of trust of the voters, who wanted the Sena and BJP to form government. To this, Chief Justice Nandrajog said, "Is the concept of divorce not new to the law of marriages."

According to CNN-News18, Congress leader Ashok Chavan's name has been withdrawn from the list of ministers who are expected to take oath later in the day today. This comes after the Enforcement directorate began its probe into the Adarsh Society scam. Chavan, former Maharashtra chief minister was acquittal in the Adarsh housing scam back in 2017. ​Chavan got relief after the Bombay High Court rejected then-governor Vidyasagar Rao's sanction to prosecute him.

The CBI had chargesheeted Chavan and 22 others in connection with the alleged irregularities committed in building the housing society. The agency had accused Chavan of approving additional floor space index for Adarsh Society in return for two flats for his relatives.

Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat, Shiv Sena's Eknath Shinde and NCP's Jayant Patil are to address a joint press conference at 4 pm, ahead of swearing-in ceremony of Shiv Sena chief and 'Maha Vikas Aghadi' leader Uddhav Thackeray, on Thursday, where the Common Minimum programme of the alliance is likely to be released.

Chairperson of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, Raj Thackeray will be attending his estranged cousin and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thakceray's oath taking ceremony at Shivaji Park in Mumbai on Thursday, reports CNN-News18. The two had brothers had a fallout after Uddhav was chosen as the Sena Chief to succeed after Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray. Raj split from the family's political party to form the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena in 2005. Earlier in the day, Uddhav had called Raj and invited him to the swearing-in.

According to India Today sources, the Shiv Sena-Congress-NCP alliance's Common Minimum Programme is expected to be released at 4 pm on Thursday, just hours before Uddhav Thackeray's swearing-in ceremony.

With Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray set to take oath as Maharashtra's chief minister, the party on Thursday heaped praises on NCP chief Sharad Pawar and termed him 'margdarshak' (guide) of the new government in the state. Though the Shiv Sena espouses the Hindutva ideology, it formed the 'Maha Vikas Aghadi' alliance with the NCP and Congress when the Uddhav Thackeray-led party fell out with the​ BJP over the issue of sharing the chief minister's post after the last month's Assembly elections.

An editorial in Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' acknowledged​ Sharad Pawar's efforts in taking the Sena-NCP-Congress alliance forward. A strong and experienced 'margdarshak' like Sharad Pawar is with us. This government will not function with any deceitful intention against anyone," the Sena said.

With the single largest party BJP being unable to form government, the Sena described the change in political dynamics as the "rise of a new sun" in Maharashtra.

"The current mood of happiness in the state can be equated with the one the entire country had at the time of Independence on August 15, 1947," the Marathi daily said.

At least 2,000 police personnel will guard the Shivaji Park in Mumbai on Thursday evening as part of the elaborate security arrangements being made for the swearing-in ceremony of Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray as chief minister of Maharashtra, a police official said. The iconic venue will turn into a virtual fortress as personnel drawn from various security forces, including Quick Response Teams, Riot Control Police, State Reserve Police Force, Local Armed Police and Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad will be deployed to prevent any untoward incident.

Dog squads will also be on duty to maintain a vigil at the sprawling ground, located in Dadar area, he said. Police personnel in civil clothes will also be deployed, the official said, adding that drones and CCTV cameras will be used to monitor the crowd.

With the stage set for Uddhav Thackeray's swearing-in ceremony, senior Sena leader tweeted the famous Bollywood movie dialogue "How is the Josh?" .Raut has been vocal against the former ally, BJP after the two parties sparred over the post of chief minister. He also said that the swearing-in of Uddhav Thackeray as Maharashtra chief minister will affect national politics."What is going to happen in Maharashtra will affect national politics. Maharashtra is a state which influences the politics of the entire country," Raut told media persons ahead of Thackeray's scheduled oath-taking ceremony.

NCP leaders Chhagan Bhujbal and​ Jayant Patil and Maharashtra Congress unit chief Balasaheb Thorat are likely to take oath as state ministers on Thursday, sources in the two parties said. The deputy chief minister's post may go to NCP MLA​ Ajit Pawar, they said. NCP leader Praful Patel on Wednesday said one or two​ MLAs each from his party, the Shiv Sena and the Congress will be sworn in as ministers at the ceremony. "Bhujbal and Patil are expected to be sworn in as ministers from the NCP. Ajit Dada is likely to be the deputy CM. But, he is unlikely to take oath today," a source in the​ NCP said.

"Thorat is also expected to take oath today," a Congress source said. Former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan could be the second leader from the Congress to be sworn in as minister on Thursday. "But, a decision on this will be taken in a few hours," the source said.

Names of Ashok Chavan and another former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan are doing the rounds for the post of Assembly Speaker.

According to ANI, NCP sources have claimed that party leader Ajit Pawar is likely to be the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra but will not be taking an oath in today's ceremony. Ahead of Uddhav Thackeray's swearing-in as Maharashtra chief minister on Thursday, the Maha Vikas Aghadi of the Nationalist Congress Party, Congress and Shiv Sena on Wednesday held a six-hour meeting in Mumbai to iron out the modalities of government formation.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, NCP's Praful Patel said all issues had been sorted out and added that the deputy chief minister would be from the NCP, whereas the Assembly Speaker will be from the Congress. According to ANI, he also said that the number of ministers to be sworn in along with the chief minister will be finalised during the night. However, it is likely that one or two ministers from every party will be sworn in on Thursday, he added.

Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray on Wednesday night separately met Congress president Sonia Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi and invited them for Uddhav Thackeray's swearing-in as Maharashtra chief minister. But sources told NDTV that both Sonia and Rahul Gandhi along with Singh conveyed their good wishes but said they won't be able to travel for the swearing-in ceremony. Though Rahul has distanced himself from the Sena, he lashed out at the ruling BJP in parliament over the sudden government formation in Maharashtra and said: "There is no point in my asking the question as democracy has been murdered in Maharashtra."

Aaditya Thackeray had a brief meeting with Gandhi at her 10, Janpath residence in the national capital. The Congress tweeted a photo of the two leaders from its official Twitter handle.

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray is all set to become the first from the Thackeray family to sit on the throne of Maharashtra's chief minister as he will be taking oath as chief minister at 6:40 pm at Mumbai's Shivaji Park on Thursday. Preparations are currently underway at Shivaji Park for the swearing-in ceremony which is slated to be later in the day. From witnessing Shiv Sena's first rally in 1966 to the cremation of its founder Bal Thackeray, from the swearing-in of its first chief minister Manohar Joshi in 1995 to Udhhav Thackeray now, the Shivaji Park ground in Dadar has been central to the saffron party's politics for over five decades.

Ahead of Uddhav Thackeray's swearing-in as Maharashtra chief minister on Thursday, the Maha Vikas Aghadi of the Nationalist Congress Party, Congress and Shiv Sena on Wednesday held a six-hour meeting in Mumbai to iron out the modalities of government formation.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, NCP's Praful Patel said all issues had been sorted out and added that the deputy chief minister would be from the NCP, whereas the Assembly Speaker will be from the Congress. According to ANI, he also said that the number of ministers to be sworn in along with the chief minister will be finalised during the night. However, it is likely that one or two ministers from every party will be sworn in on Thursday, he added.

Praful Patel, NCP: How many ministers will take oath will be decided tonight. 1 or 2 MLAs from each party will take oath as ministers. Speaker has been decided by all three parties, Speaker will be from Congress and Deputy Speaker from NCP. #Maharashtra https://t.co/kj45FxhIwm — ANI (@ANI) November 27, 2019

Reports suggest that during the meeting attended by leaders from all three parties including Ahmed Patel, Mallikarjun Kharge, Dhananjay Munde and Sharad Pawar, the distribution of cabinet berths was also discussed. Besides the chief minister, the Shiv Sena would get 15 cabinet berths, while the Congress and NCP would each get 13 ministerial berths, reported ANI. However, no official confirmation has been received yet.

The meeting follows Pawar's parleys with Patel, Congress general secretary KC Venugopal and others at the his Mumbai residence earlier in the day. There is speculation that Ajit Pawar, who was present at the meeting, may be inducted in the new cabinet.

Speaking to reporters after leaving the meeting, Ajit, who took oath as a MLA from the NCP said that his backing the short-lived BJP government was not a revolt and that he continued to be a member of the party. "I have been telling all that I was in the NCP, I am in NCP and will be in NCP," he said.

Even as Ajit returned to the party fold, Devendra Fadnavis said that he would comment on Ajit's resignation when the time was right.

Late on Wednesday evening, Uddhav Thackeray invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the swearing-in ceremony. Modi congratulated Uddhav, who is now set to be the chief minister.

Meanwhile, BJP chief Amit Shah lashed out at former ally Shiv Sena and reiterated that he never promised Shiv Sena the CM's post before elections. Hitting out at the Congress and NCP, he alleged that trading the chief ministers post for the support of a party with 56 seats constituted horse-trading.

"Isn't giving support in lieu of the chief minister's post greed? I tell Sharad ji and Sonia ji that they should try saying that the chief minister will be theirs and then take the support of Shiv Sena. The coalition with about 100 seats is giving the chief minister's post to the party with 56 seats, this is horse-trading," he said.

285 MLAs take oath

A special session of the 14th state Assembly was held on Wednesday where oath was administered to 285 newly- elected members by pro tem Speaker Kalidas Kolambkar who was appointed to the post by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari. Legislature secretary Rajendra Bhagwat said a decision on the date for Speaker's election will be taken after the Cabinet meeting, following the swearing-in of Uddhav Thackeray as chief minister.

In a symbolic gesture, NCP MP Supriya Sule greeted her party MLAs and relatives Ajit Pawar and Rohit Pawar at the Vidhan Bhavan's entrance. The newly-elected members could not take oath earlier even one month after the results of the Assembly polls were announced due to dramatic political developments in the state.

The state remained under President's rule for 13 days between 12 and 23 November after no political party was able to form a government. The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked Koshyari to appoint a pro tem speaker and ensure all elected members of the House are sworn in on Wednesday itself by 5 pm.

The BJP-led government, which was formed with the support of NCP leader Ajit Pawar on 23 November, collapsed on Tuesday afternoon, after Pawar stepped down as deputy chief minister and Devendra Fadnavis as chief minister.

Fadnavis' resignation came a day after the Sena-led alliance paraded 162 MLAs in an unprecedented show of strength at a luxury hotel on Monday night indicating that the numbers were stacked heavily against the BJP. The alliance, which is expected to have a Common Minimum Programme(CMP), was stitched after hectic parleys involving Uddhav Thackeray, Sharad Pawar and Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi.

Once being the only second chief minister in Maharashtra to complete the full five-year term, Fadnavis now holds the dubious distinction of being the chief minister with the shortest tenure of four days in the last 59 years.

The Maha Vikas Aghadi has rallied behind Uddhav Thackeray, who is not a member of the state legislature. Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut claimed the BJP made "barbaric attempts" to retain power in Maharashtra but the state's people foiled it, marking the beginning of a change in the country's politics.

Exuding confidence, Raut said it will not be surprising if the Shiv Sena forms government at the Centre after having installed its chief minister (Uddhav Thackeray) in Maharashtra. Raut, who addressed the media regularly over the past one month as he took the BJP head-on, aggressively putting forth his party's side, also said that he would not be holding regular press briefings from Thursday and revert to his work pertaining to the Sena's mouthpiece 'Saamana'.The Rajya Sabha member is also the executive editor of Marathi daily 'Saamana'.

Senior Congress leaders including Ahmed Patel met Sharad Pawar at his Silver Oak residence in south Mumbai on Wednesday to discuss issues pertaining to Maharashtra's ministerial council and oath-taking ceremony. Following the day's meeting, invitations were extended to Sonia Gandhi, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, Aam Aadmi Party's Arvind Kejriwal and DMK leader MK Stalin. Aaditya Thackeray, who took oath as the Worli MLA, reached 10 Janpath on Wednesday night to invite Sonia Gandhi for the swearing-in ceremony.

Delhi: Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray at Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi's residence to invite her for the swearing-in ceremony of Uddhav Thackeray as the Chief Minister of #Maharashtra, tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/RMw65ofgD0 — ANI (@ANI) November 27, 2019

Uddhav Thackeray along with wife Rashmi met Koshyari at Raj Bhavan on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the Bombay High Court on Wednesday raised security concerns over the swearing-in ceremony of Uddhav Thackeray as chief minister at Shivaji Park, and said holding such events at a public ground should not become a regular feature.

"We do not want to say anything about tomorrow's ceremony...we are only praying that nothing untoward happens," the court said while hearing a plea on whether the Shivaji Park was a playground or a recreation ground.

After Uddhav's swearing in, Maharashtra will have a chief minister from the Sena after 20 years. Uddhav, 59, will be sworn in as the chief minister in an evening ceremony at the sprawling Shivaji Park, where his father and Sena founder Bal Thackeray addressed his famous Dussehra rallies.

The last Sena man to occupy the chief minister's chair was Narayan Rane in 1999, after Manohar Joshi, who in 1995 became the first Sena chief minister.

Thursday's swearing in ceremony follows days of dramatic political developments, which included a three-day government formed by unexpected support from Ajit , who has since returned to the NCP fold.

With inputs from agencies