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InDepth

asked Singhvi to withdraw the fresh ment came from the NCP Legislature
plea with affidavits of 154 Maharashtra Party leader and hence there was no
MLAs supporting the combine as it had requirement of seeking separate let-
not been supplied to the BJP. With the ters of support from individual MLAs
Apex Court having delineated the test of the NCP; nonetheless, many experts
on the floor of the state assembly, the doubted the longevity of the Fadnavis
ball now lies in the court of Maharash- government, especially when some
tra state assembly that will sift chaff off “ I doubt that this NCP MLAs, who accompanied Ajit
the grain. Pawar to Raj Bhavan on the morning of
three-wheeler govt will November 23, had subsequentlyaccus-
PRECEDING DRAMA be stable but BJP will ing the NCP leader of misguiding them
The return of Devendra Fadnavis on the and three of these MLAs showed up at
morning of November 23 as Maharash- work as an effective Sharad Pawar’s press conference on the
tra’s Chief Minister in a dramatic man- opposition and try same day.
ner with the reported support of Ajit The BJP staged the coup at the elev-
Pawar of the NCP, who was alsosworn to raise the voice of enth hour when Shiv Sena, NCP and
as Deputy CM by the state Governor people. Congress had forged an alliance to form
concurrently, more twists and turns the next government in Maharashtra
in Maharashtra politics had started ” with consensus on the name of Ud-
occurring.According to media reports, dhav Thackeray, Shiv Sena supremo, as
Ajit Pawar had silently left the meeting DEVENDRA FADNAVIS the chief minister, had seemingly been
late Friday night of November 22 and BJP leader reached.
reportedly hadgone to his interlocutors Past few days have been character-
in the BJP and provided them a letter ized by flurry of hectic political activi-
carrying the signatures of 54 NCP legislators. ties in the camps of all the three alliance partners, with the
Undoubtedly, sources in the state unit of the BJP re- BJP being bogged down with ‘wait and watch’scenario. After
portedly claimed at that juncture that the letter with the having reached amicable solution to allocation of portfolios
signatures pledging support to a Fadnavis-led govern- in the future coalition government and consensual decision

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