Maharashtra govt formation highlights: Prez rule imposed; negotiations on

Maharashtra govt formation: With no consensus achieved between Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress, President's rule has been imposed

1:33 PM

Maharashtra government formation: Will neither support a BJP led govt nor a Shiv Sena led govt, says Owaisi

Asaduddin Owaisi, AIMIM: We will neither support a BJP led Govt nor a Shiv Sena led Govt, we reiterate our stand.I am happy now if Congress-NCP are supporting Shiv Sena, people will know who was cutting whose votes and who was colluding with whom.

1:31 PM

12:57 PM

It's really time for Congress to die, says AAP's Preeti Sharma Menon

12:56 PM

12:55 PM

Congress giving Maharashtra 'on a platter' to BJP, says AAP

With the Congress taking it slow on government formation in Maharashtra, the Aam Aadmi Party's state leader Preeti Sharma Menon on Tuesday said the Congress leadership always puts the party before the nation and claimed that they are giving Maharashtra "on a platter" to the BJP.

 

"Congress leadership always puts their party before the nation. In Lok Sabha, they stubbornly refused regional alliances and helped BJP sweep. Now they are giving Maharashtra on a platter to the BJP. It's moribund attitude will decimate it soon," Menon tweeted.

 

She also said that the Congress MLAs in Maharashtra should join Sharad Pawar, President of Nationalist Congress Party, adding "it's really time for Congress to die".

12:54 PM

12:53 PM

Sonia speaks to Pawar, authorises 3 senior leaders to hold talks with NCP

Interim Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday spoke to NCP chief Sharad Pawar and authorised three senior party leaders to hold further talks on the issue of government formation in Maharashtra.

 

Earlier in the morning, Sonia Gandhi again spoke to Pawar over telephone and asked her party leaders to meet Pawar in Mumbai.

 

"Congress President Smt.Sonia Gandhi spoke to Shri.Sharad Pawar today morning and deputed Shri.Ahamed Patel, Shri.Mallikarjun Kharge and myself for holding further discussions with Shri.Pawar," Venugopal tweeted. "We three are going to Mumbai now and will meet Shri.Pawar at the earliest."

 

Earlier in the day, Sonia Gandhi held talks with party's core team members A K Antony and Venugopal at her residence.

12:35 PM

Maharashtra government formation: Final decision will be a collective decision, says Mallikarjun Kharge

Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge: NCP and Congress had pre-poll alliance, & final decision will be a collective decision. Our talks with NCP are on, and we will only move forward once discussions with them are done.

12:34 PM

NCP meets to discuss Maharashtra govt formation

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President Sharad Pawar, his nephew and former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and other senior leaders and Legislators of the party held a crucial meeting here on Tuesday to discuss the government formation issue.

 

Prior to the meeting, Ajit Pawar indicated that if the NCP managed to get the magic figure of 145 in the 288-member Assembly, it could form the government, but cautioned: "Have patience".

 

The party is hoping for the support of the Congress, the Shiv Sena, which broke off from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA, independents and smaller parties.

12:17 PM

Maharashtra government formation:Kharge, Ahmed Patel to meet NCP leader in Mumbai

Senior Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Ahmed Patel to meet NCP leaders in Mumbai, later today

12:10 PM

Uddhav Thackeray visits Sanjay Raut at Lilawati hospital

11:55 AM

Sonia Gandhi wary of a tie-up with Shiv Sena

Though Congress MLAs in Maharashtra favour forming a government with the Sena, the party leadership, especially Sonia Gandhi, is extremely wary of a tie-up with such an ideologically different party, a traditional enemy and one with which it was in direct contest in Mumbai and many regions in Maharashtra in the polls.

11:53 AM

Maharashtra government formation: Congress holds key in Maharashtra

The Shiv Sena's plans to take power in Maharashtra after ending its alliance with long-term partner BJP have hit a wall with the Congress holding the key.

11:51 AM

We will definitely succeed: Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut quote a famous poem

A day after Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyar refused Shiv Sena's request for providing 48 hours to stake claim to form the government, Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Tuesday took to Twitter and quoted a poem written by poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan in Hindi and said his party has not given up and "will succeed".

 

Raut tweeted: "Lahron se dar kar nauka paar nahi hoti, koshish karne walon ki haar nahi hoti (If you have fear of waves, you won't be able to cross the ocean.. those who try, never lose," he tweeted in Hindi, adding, "hum honge kamyab.. zaroor honge (we will succeed, for sure)".

11:44 AM

Maharashtra government formation: NCP meeting underway