Maharashtra: Uddhav Thackeray takes over as CM, ruling alliance to face floor test tomorrow

Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has appointed NCP MLA Dilip Walse Patil the interim Speaker for the trust vote.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray assumed charge of the state government on Friday afternoon, a day before proving the majority of the Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress government that he leads, reported The Indian Express.

Thackeray, who took oath on Thursday, visited the state secretariat, or Mantralaya, at 1 pm, accompanied by his son and MLA Aaditya Thackeray and other senior Shiv Sena leaders. He is the first member of his family to hold the position. He held meetings with officials and instructed them to start development-related works immediately, according to ANI.

The chief minister also paid respect at Hutatma Chowk in South Mumbai, which houses the memorial for the “Samyukta Maharashtra” movement that demanded the creation of a Marathi-speaking state out of the state of Bombay, with the city of Mumbai as its capital.

Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has asked the ruling alliance, or the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi, to submit MLAs’ letters of the support by December 3, Hindustan Times reported. While initially, the alliance had claimed the support of 166 legislators, it claims that its strength has increased to 170 in the 288-member Assembly.

The governor has appointed Nationalist Congress Party legislator Dilip Walse Patil Pro tem Speaker, replacing former Speaker Kalidas Kolambkar of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Kolambkar had been appointed interim Speaker on November 26.

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