First Thackeray to be Sworn in as Maharashtra CM on Thursday

Mumbai: In a sort of milestone in the political history of Maharashtra, the Thackeray family, which has been known for its remote-control politics since the birth of Shiv Sena, will take a plunge into administrative politics on Thursday. Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray will swear in as Chief Minister of Maharashtra after month-long dramatic political developments after it severed its three-decade-old ties with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), shocking and rocking the state’s as well as India's politics. 

Uddhav along with one or two ministers from Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress will swear in on Thursday evening. Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has given a deadline of December 3 for proving majority on the floor of the House to newly formed Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA).

"So, the rest of the oaths will be done after the floor test. We will try to prove our majority as soon as possible," NCP leader Praful Patel told the media after a four-and-a-half hour-long meeting of Sena, NCP and Congress leaders in Mumbai. 

Patel also said that though the finer details of the allocation of ministries have not yet been worked out, but as per the agreement, there will be only one Deputy Chief Minister from NCP’s side. Congress will get the Speaker’s post and the Deputy Speaker’s will go to NCP. 

Meanwhile, sources said the talks were stuck with regard to distribution of portfolios. As Congress has given up on its demand of Deputy CM’s post, now the party wants either the Home or Finance Ministry. But NCP is adamant about these two ministries not going to Congress and has asked the party to opt for Revenue instead. 

Meanwhile, it was expected that Congress Chief Ministers from all states, Nitish Kumar of Bihar, Mamata Banerjee of West Bengal and Telugu Desam Party leader Chandrababu Naidu, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao are among those who are likely to be present for the swearing-in ceremony. Also, all the senior leaders of Maharashtra have been invited for the ceremony, including Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief and Uddhav's cousin, Raj Thackeray. 

Uddhav's son and first time MLA, Aaditya Thackeray, also flew to Delhi Thursday late night to personally invite Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi for the swearing-in ceremony. With the new MVA government coming to power in Maharashtra, Indian politics has seen the first major step towards anti-BJP political alignment.