Maharashtra: 162 Sena-NCP-Cong MLAs come together to show strength

This comes hours after the three parties staked claim to power.

The MLAs also took an oath that under no circumstances they would help the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to prove their majority in the Maharashtra Assembly.

"I swear that under the leadership of Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray & Sonia Gandhi, I will be honest to my party. I won't get lured by anything. I will not do anything which will benefit BJP," the MLAs pledged during the show of strength.

Potraying their strength, the Congress tweeted: "We will not be defeated by fear & intimidation, by corrupt practices & illegal actions. We are not driven by lust for power & greed. We are united, we are strong #WeAre162."

Earlier in the day, Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut said all 162 MLAs of Sena-NCP-Congress will appear together at 7 pm.

He said all the MLAs will come together at a Mumbai hotel later.

"We are all one and together, watch our 162 together for the first time at grand Hyatt at 7 pm , come and watch yourself @maha_governor," Raut tweeted.

With both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)-Congress camps claiming to have the majority, the Supreme Court decided to deliver its judgement on the Maharashtra coup at 10:30 am on Tuesday.

The twist to the Maharashtra politics came on early Saturday morning when NCP chief Sharad Pawar's nephew and party leader Ajit handed over a letter to Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari supporting the BJP.

BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis took oath as the Chief Minister with Ajit as his deputy on Saturday morning itself.

Fadnavis on Monday assumed charge as well and signed a cheque for the Chief Minister's Relief Fund.

On Saturday night, the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress moved the top court against the Centre's move to revoke Presidential rule in Maharashtra and the Governor's step to invite the BJP to form the government.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who represented the Governor's office in the top court, on Monday said Koshyari was handed over the letter of support of 54 NCP MLAs by Ajit Pawar.

The Sena-NCP-Congress alliance's advocate, Kapil Sibal, demanded an immediate floor test in the assembly calling the BJP's government formation as "fraud".

Meanwhile, the alliance has submitted a letter comprising signatures of 162 MLAs including 51 of 54 NCP lawmakers to the Governor on Monday. The majority mark in 288-member Maharashtra assembly is 145.

How the political crisis started?

After the election results were declared on Oct 24, the Sena demanded 50:50 power share in the government and rotational Chief Ministership from the BJP which didn't entertain right from the first day.

Eventually, the Sena fell out with its oldest ally slowly moving towards the NCP and Congress.

After the BJP, which has won 105 seats, refused to stake claim to form the government, Governor Koshyari had asked the Sena to do so. However, the Sena, which has just 56 seats, failed to cobble up the number following which NCP, the third largest party, was asked to stake claim.

However even before the allotted time expired, the Governor on Nov 12 asked the Centre to impose the Presidential rule drawing much criticism from the Opposition.

Image credit: Shiv Sena Official Twitter Page